A.“ψα^λῶ” LXX Jd.5.3, 1 Ep.Cor.14.15: aor. “ἔψηλα” Pl.Ly. 209b, etc., and in LXX “ἔψα_λα” Ps.9.12, al.:—pluck, pull, twitch, ψ. ἔθειραν pluck the hair, A.Pers.1062: esp. of the bow-string, τόξων χερὶ ψάλλουσι νευράς twang them, E.Ba.784; “κενὸν κρότον” Lyc.1453; ἐκ κέραος ψ. βέλος send a shaft twanging from the bow, APl.4.211 (Stat. Flacc.); so μιλτοχαρὴς σχοῖνος ψαλλομένη a carpenter's red line, which is twitched and then suddenly let go, so as to leave a mark, AP6.103 (Phil.): metaph., “γυναῖκας ἐξ ἀνδρῶν ψόγος ψάλλει, κενὸν τόξευμα” E.Fr.499.
II. mostly of the strings of musical instruments, play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and not with the plectron, “ψῆλαι καὶ κρούειν τῷ πλήκτρῳ” Pl. l. c., et ibi Sch.; “ἐάν τις ψήλας τὴν νήτην ἐπιλάβῃ” Arist.Pr.919b15; “μουσικώτατος ὢν χατὰ χεῖρα δίχα πλήκτρου ἔψαλλε” Ath.4.183d; opp. κιθαρίζω, Hdt.1.155, SIG578.18 (Teos, ii B. C.); πρὶν μέν σ᾽ ἑπτάτονον ψάλλον (sc. τὴν λύραν) Ion Eleg.3.3: abs., Hdt. l. c., Ar.Eq.522, Hippias (?) in PHib.1.13.24; “κόραις” Men.Epit.260; “ψάλλειν [οὐκ ἔνι] ἄνευ λύρας” Luc.Par.17:—Prov., ῥᾷον ἤ τις ἂν χορδὴν ψήλειε 'as easy as falling off a log', Aristid.Or.26(14).31.
2. later, sing to a harp, LXX Ps.7.18, 9.12, al.; “τῇ καρδίᾳ” Ep.Eph.5.19; τῷ πνεύματι 1 Ep.Cor. l. c.
3. Pass., of the instrument, to be struck or played, “ψαλλομένη χορδή” Arist.Pr.919b2; also of persons, to be played to on the harp, Macho ap.Ath.8.348f.
