psalter
/ˈsɔːltə(ɹ)/
Etymology
From Middle English psauter & sauter, from Old French psautier & saltier, from Latin psaltērium (“a kind of lute or zither”), from Ancient Greek ψᾰλτήρῐον (psăltḗrĭon, “harp”). Doublet of psalterion, psalterium, and psaltery.
psalter means synonym of Psalms, particularly when printed as a separate work from the Bible. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
psalter is pronounced /ˈsɔːltə(ɹ)/.
Why “psalter” is a great word
PSALTER — [Noun] A book, often beautifully illuminated, containing the Book of Psalms from the Bible and typically arranged for liturgical recitation or private devotion. From Middle English psauter, from Old French psautier, from Latin psaltērium ("a stringed instrument, psaltery"), from Ancient Greek ψαλτήριον (psaltḗrion, "harp"). Unlike a "breviary," which contains the entire Divine Office, or a "psaltery," the instrument itself, a psalter is a dedicated vessel for poetry meant to be sung. It is the vellum page worn smooth by a thumb tracing the lines of the Miserere, the impossibly intricate gold-leaf vines bordering a silent library page, and the red rubric guiding a morning chant—a book that aspires to be the instrument its name remembers.
noun
- Synonym of Psalms, particularly when printed as a separate work from the Bible.
- Synonym of breviary, which arranges the Psalms for devotional recitation.
- Synonym of Book of Common Prayer, which prominently includes the Psalms.
- A rosary with 150 beads, used for reciting the Psalms in Catholic editions of the Bible.