lute

Meanings

Noun

• A fretted stringed instrument of European origin, similar to the guitar, having a bowl-shaped body or soundbox; any of a wide variety of chordophones with a pear-shaped body and a neck whose upper surface is in the same plane as the soundboard, with strings along the neck and parallel to the soundboard.
• Thick sticky clay or cement used to close up a hole or gap, especially to make something air-tight.
• A packing ring, as of rubber, for fruit jars, etc.
• A straight-edged piece of wood for striking off superfluous clay from earth.

Verb

• To play on a lute, or as if on a lute.
• To fix or fasten something with lute.

Origin

• From Middle French lut (modern luth), from Old French leut, probably from Old Occitan laüt, from Arabic عود ("wood") (probably representing an Andalusian Arabic or North African pronunciation). oud, lavta, and laouto.
• From Old French lut, ultimately from Latin lutum.