psalm Meaning & Definition
What Does Psalm Mean?
Psalm is a noun that means A sacred song; a poetical composition for use in the praise or worship of God. It can also mean One of the hymns by David and others, collected into one book of the Old Testament, or a modern metrical version of such a hymn for public worship. As a verb, it means To extol in psalms; to make music; to sing.
Psalm at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /sɑːm/ |
| Plural | psalms |
| Verb forms | psalms, psalming, psalmed |
Psalm Definition (Noun)
- A sacred song; a poetical composition for use in the praise or worship of God.
- One of the hymns by David and others, collected into one book of the Old Testament, or a modern metrical version of such a hymn for public worship.
Psalm as a Verb
- To extol in psalms; to make music; to sing
to psalm his praises.
Synonyms of Psalm
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Psalm synonyms and antonyms →Psalm in a Sentence
to psalm his praises.
Word Forms & Grammar
psalm (plural psalms)
psalm (third-person singular simple present psalms, present participle psalming, simple past and past participle psalmed)
Words That Rhyme With Psalm
Origin of Psalm
From Middle English salm or psalme, from Old English psealm, later reinforced from Old French psalme (modern French psaume), both from Latin psalmus, from Ancient Greek ψαλμός (psalmós, “the sound emanating from twitching or twanging perhaps with the hands or fingers, mostly of musical strings”) (from ψάλλω (psállō, “to make a sound by striking, touching, plucking, rubbing, twanging, or vibrating”)), but later in New Testament times the meaning of ψαλμός (psalmós) evolved from its Classical meaning of "a tune played to the harp" to a more general tune that could be played with any instrument; even a song sung with or without musical accompaniment. By the Byzantine Period, it lost all of its instrumental nuances.
Common Questions About Psalm
Is psalm a noun or a verb?
Psalm is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of psalm?
The plural of psalm is psalms.
What is the past tense of psalm?
The past tense of psalm is psalmed. The present participle is psalming.