psalm

noun

ˈsäm 

ˈsälm,

ˈsȯm,

ˈsȯlm 

often capitalized

: a sacred song or poem used in worship

especially : one of the biblical hymns collected in the Book of Psalms

Synonyms

• anthem
• canticle
• carol
• chorale
• hymn
• spiritual

Examples of psalm in a Sentence

after the sermon we sang a brief psalm

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lady Olive certainly sank: All of its crew members escaped in lifeboats, singing psalms to stave off hypothermia, and were saved after 36 hours at sea. —Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Feb. 2025

He is known as the patron saint of bookbinders and wrote an illustrative book of psalms while at the monastery of St. Finnian, according to Discovering Ireland. —Joyce Orlando, The Tennessean, 15 Mar. 2024

Inside the nave, choirs sang psalms, and the cathedral’s mighty organ thundered back to life in a triumphant interplay of melodies. —Thomas Adamson and John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

The great organ's 8,000 pipes, which were covered in toxic dust after the fire and have been disassembled, cleaned and retuned, will also play a psalm as the doors re-open. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English psealm, from Late Latin psalmus, from Greek psalmos, literally, twanging of a harp, from psallein to pluck, play a stringed instrument

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

psalm

noun

ˈsäm  ˈsälm 

1

: a sacred song or poem

2

capitalized : one of the hymns that make up the Old Testament Book of Psalms

Etymology

Old English psealm "psalm," from Latin psalmus (same meaning), from Greek psalmos "psalm," literally, "twanging of a harp," from psallein "to pluck, play a stringed musical instrument"

Word Origin

The Greek word psallein originally meant "to pull" or "to pluck." It then came to be used with the meaning "to play a stringed musical instrument." From this verb came the noun psalmos, which literally meant "the twanging of a harp." Since harp music often accompanied singing, psalmos took on the meaning of "a song sung to harp music" and later simply "a song or poem." It was borrowed into Latin as psalmus and came into English as psalm.