Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A pear-shaped, two-stringed or three-stringed medieval instrument, played with a bow.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A musical instrument, the earliest known form of the viol class.
- noun An old woman: so called in contempt. Compare
ribibe , 2.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Mus.) An instrument formerly used which somewhat resembled the violin, having three strings, and being played with a bow.
- noun obsolete A contemptuous term applied to an old woman.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun music An early three-
stringed instrument , somewhat like a simpleviolin .
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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For instance, a viola da gamba is sort of cello, and a rebec is a kind of violin.
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The oldest type of this instrument in use appears to have been the form known as the rebec, the Arab form, which came into Europe in the time of the crusades.
A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present 1874
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Arab form of it, known as the rebec, is represented on p. 113, Fig. 23.
A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present 1874
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Urania is represented by the armillary sphere, Euterpe by flutes, Thalia by the rebec, Melpomene by the hunting horn, Terpsichore by the cittern, Erato by the jingle ring, and Polyhymnia by the organ.
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
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Partially obscured behind a cabinet door, the rebec and its bow represent the muse Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry).
Architecture and Memory: The Renaissance Studioli of Federico da Montefeltro 2008
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He marveled over the rebec that he set in the hands of some lady of the land, drank in the musical notes of her ballad, and in the twilight by the gothic arch above the hearth he told his love in a gloom so deep that he could not read his answer in her eyes.
The Magic Skin 2007
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The girls are playing appropriate instruments of the period, such as the viola da gamba, cittern, dulcimer, rebec, clarion, viola d'amore and virginal, but their brand of beauty is strictly 20th century.
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She spoke loudly, and as if conjured by sorcery, a group of musicians emerged from the crowd, carrying instruments, took up positions in front of Catherine, bowed to her, and set to without delay, on the rebec, harp, and drum.
QUEEN’S RANSOM Fiona Buckley 2000
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I must get him to try his hand on rebec or organetto, and see what he can do.
The Holy Thief Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1992
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The flutes and panpipes were easily carried; rebec and mandora had their own padded bags for protection, though the bow of the rebec had to be packed with care.
The Holy Thief Peters, Ellis, 1913-1995 1992
tumbel commented on the word rebec
"...ancient instruments (the ramsinga, the oliphant, the Roman bugle, the lute, the rebec, the aeolian harp, Solomon's harp)..." p 108
November 24, 2007