n. [ OE. lire, OF. lyre, L. lyra, Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Lyra. ] 1. (Mus.) A stringed instrument of music; a kind of harp much used by the ancients, as an accompaniment to poetry. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) One of the constellations; Lyra. See Lyra. [ 1913 Webster ]

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 ]

pos>n. (Zool.) Any one of two or three species of Australian birds of the genus Menura. The male is remarkable for having the sixteen tail feathers very long and, when spread, arranged in the form of a lyre. The common lyre bird (Menura superba), inhabiting New South Wales, is about the size of a grouse. Its general color is brown, with rufous color on the throat, wings, tail coverts and tail. Called also lyre pheasant and lyre-tail. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bot.) n. A garden plant (Dicentra spectabilis) having deep-pink drooping heart-shaped flowers.
Syn. -- bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis. [ WordNet 1.5 ]