lute

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈlüt How to pronounce lute (audio)
: a stringed instrument having a large pear-shaped body, a vaulted back, a fretted fingerboard, and a head with tuning pegs which is often angled backward from the neck

Illustration of lute

Illustration of lute

lute

2 of 4

verb

luted; luting

transitive verb

: to seal or cover (something, such as a joint or surface) with lute

lute

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a substance (such as cement or clay) for packing a joint or coating a porous surface to make it impervious to gas or liquid

lute-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or luteo-
: corpus luteum
luteal

Examples of lute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The painting depicts four women in dresses surrounded by a greenish fog as one of them plays the lute. — Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024 That needle is the lamb of a radio station and a YouTube tea channel, with a dash of lute thrown in for good measure. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 8 Dec. 2023 The device features hundreds of sounds and samples from ye olden days, including lutes, hurdy-gurdies, and Gregorian chants. — Time Staff, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024 The eclectic band includes a poet, an opera singer, a violinist, a pianist and two people who play the bandura, Ukraine’s traditional 62-string instrument that looks a bit like an oversize lute. — Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lute

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Middle French lut, from Old Occitan laut, from Arabic al-ʽūd, literally, the wood

Verb

Middle English, from Latin lutare, from lutum mud — more at pollute

Combining form

New Latin (corpus) luteum

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lute was in the 13th century

Rhymes for lute

See All Rhymes for lute

Browse Nearby Words

lutaceous
lute
lute-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lute. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lute

noun
ˈlüt
: a musical instrument resembling a guitar but with a pear-shaped body

Medical Definition

lute

noun
ˈlüt How to pronounce lute (audio)
: a substance (as cement or clay) for packing a joint (as in laboratory apparatus) or coating a porous surface to produce imperviousness to gas or liquid
lute transitive verb
luted; luting

More from Merriam-Webster on lute

Nglish: Translation of lute for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lute

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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