Lyric

Lyric

Noun / Adjective · /ˈlɪr.ɪk/

Definition

(Noun) the words of a song; a short poem expressing personal emotion; (Adjective) relating to the words of a song; of or relating to a type of poetry expressing personal feeling; (of a voice) light and clear in quality.

Origin

From Latin lyricus and Greek lyrikos (singing to the lyre), from lyra (the lyre). The ancient Greek lyric tradition was poetry composed to be sung to lyre accompaniment — Sappho, Pindar, and Alcaeus being the canonical lyric poets. The word entered English in the 16th century. The plural lyrics for song words is a 19th-century development.