lyre bat

1 definition found

lyre bat - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Lyre \Lyre\, n. [OE. lire, OF. lyre, L. lyra, Gr. ?. Cf.
     Lyra.]
     1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much
        used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry.
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     Note: The lyre was the peculiar instrument of Apollo, the
           tutelary god of music and poetry. It gave name to the
           species of verse called lyric, to which it originally
           furnished an accompaniment.
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     2. (Astron.) One of the constellations; Lyra. See Lyra.
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     Lyre bat (Zool.), a small bat (Megaderma lyra),
        inhabiting India and Ceylon. It is remarkable for the
        enormous size and curious shape of the nose membrane and
        ears.
  
     Lyre turtle (Zool.), the leatherback.
        [1913 Webster]