I. ˈlirik, -rēk adjective
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French lyrique, from Latin lyricus, from Greek lyrikos, from lyra lyre + -ikos -ic
1. : of or relating to a lyre or harp
2. of verse
a. : suitable to sing to the lyre
b. : suitable for being set to music and sung : melodic
3.
a. : characterized by or expressive of direct usually intense personal emotion
for the lyric writer virtue depends upon the intensity with which the personal vision is rendered — R.P.Warren
a lyric and tender dance — Dance Observer
a lyric and personal response to life — A.M.Mizener
b. : rhapsodic and unrestrained in manner or style
publish lyric prose saying how gay an occasion it was — Katherine A. Porter
the lyric typewriters of literary ghosts — Merriman Smith
exploded with lyric wrath — Time
4. of a singing voice : having a relatively light, pure, melodic quality
lyric soprano
lyric tenor
— compare coloratura , dramatic
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French lyrique, from Latin lyricum, from neuter of lyricus adjective
1.
a. : a lyric composition
a tender and gay little lyric which she had sung to crowded drawing rooms — S.H.Adams
specifically : a lyric poem
a third lyric of twenty lines — Malcolm Cowley
b. lyrics plural : the words of a popular song or musical-comedy number
rereading the lyrics slowly and savoring the ingenious metrical tricks that make these songs unique — William Zinsser
2.
[Middle French lyrique, from Latin lyricus, from Greek lyrikos, from lyrikos, adjective]
archaic : a lyric poet