harp

harp — noun

1. A large instrument that stands on the floor, built from wood with strings runnin

1.nounB1
Definition

A large instrument that stands on the floor, built from wood with strings running down its tall triangular frame. The player pulls the strings gently to make musical notes.

Example

Faisal sat at the back of the orchestra and played the harp with great care.

collocation: play the harp

A small harp stood in the corner of the music room for student practice.

countable: a harp / the harp

Common collocations
  • play the harp
  • harp strings
  • harp music
  • harp player
  • folk harp
  • Celtic harp
  • harpist
Synonyms
  • lyre

    a much smaller ancient string instrument held in the hands, unlike a floor-standing harp

  • zither

    a flat string instrument played by plucking or strumming, laid on a table or lap

Grammar Patterns

a harp

the harp

Usage Note

Often preceded by 'the' when referring to the instrument as a category ('She plays the harp'). Countable when referring to individual instruments ('Three harps were on stage').

Common Mistakes

She plays harp every weekend.
She plays the harp every weekend.
'the harp' is the standard phrase for the instrument in general, like 'the piano' or 'the violin'.

2. A small metal musical instrument that you hold against your mouth and blow or su

2.nounC1
Definition

A small metal musical instrument that you hold against your mouth and blow or suck air through to make sounds. In informal use, this word means the same as a harmonica.

Example

Andrés pulled a harp from his coat pocket and played a short folk tune.

informal register: 'harp' for harmonica

The old blues singer carried a harp everywhere he went.

Common collocations
  • play the harp
  • blues harp
  • harp player
  • folk harp
Synonyms
  • harmonica

    the standard formal name for this instrument

  • mouth organ

    another informal name, more common in British English

Grammar Patterns

a harp

on the harp

Usage Note

This sense is most common among blues, folk, and jazz musicians. In general English, 'harmonica' is the usual term; learners should use 'harmonica' unless they know the context is informal or music-specialist.

Common Mistakes

She bought a harp for her harmonica lesson.
She bought a harmonica for her lesson.
'harp' for harmonica is informal slang; use 'harmonica' in neutral or formal situations.

harp — verb

Word family

  • harpist
    nounB1
  • harper
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four phrases describe talking about something too much, but they differ in tone and structure. 'Harp on' (or 'harp on about') is informal and carries a mildly disapproving tone — the speaker finds the repetition annoying ('She kept harping on about her diet'). 'Dwell on' is more neutral and can refer to thinking as well as speaking ('He dwelt on the problem for days'). 'Go on about' is equally informal and very common in British English, often implying the listener is bored ('They went on about their holiday for hours'). 'Labour the point' is more formal and suggests the speaker is over-explaining something that is already clear ('I don't want to labour the point, but the deadline is tomorrow'). Use 'labour the point' in professional writing; use 'harp on' or 'go on about' in conversation.'Dwell on' works in both speech and writing with a neutral register.

harp on ↗dwell ongo on aboutlabour the point

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • harp on about
  • harp on the same topic
  • play the harp

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'harp' comes from Old English 'hearpe', which goes back to a common Germanic root *harpōn-. This ancient word is related to Dutch 'harp', German 'Harfe', and Old Norse 'harpa'. The instrument itself has existed for thousands of years — harps appear in ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian art. The verb sense 'to talk persistently' (harp on) developed in the 1500s. The idea is that someone keeps playing the same string over and over, like repeating the same topic again and again. The informal sense 'harp = harmonica' arose among American blues musicians in the early 1900s.