flute

play

noun \ˈflüt\

Simple Definition of flute

: a musical instrument that is shaped like a thin pipe and that is played by blowing across a hole near one end
: a tall, thin glass that is used for drinking champagne

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of flute

1 a : recorder 3 b : a keyed woodwind instrument consisting of a cylindrical tube which is stopped at one end and which has a side hole over which air is blown to produce the tone and having a range from middle C upward for three octaves
2 : something long and slender: as a : a tall slender wineglass b : a grooved pleat (as on a hat brim)
3 : a rounded groove; specifically : one of the vertical parallel grooves on a classical architectural column

flutelike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

fluty

flutey

play \ˈflü-tē\ adjective

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Did You Know?

This is a woodwind instrument whose sound is produced by blowing against a sharp edge. Flutes may be end-blown, like the recorder, or may have a round shape, like the ocarina; however, the term usually refers to the transverse flute of Western music. The transverse flute, a tubular instrument held sideways to the right, appeared in Greece and Italy by the second century ce. By the 16th century, flutes with finger holes but no keys were in use in Europe. Keys began to be added in the late 17th century. Later 19th-century innovations resulted in the modern flute. The cylindrical tube may be made of wood or, more often, a precious metal or alloy. The flute family also includes the piccolo, the alto flute, and the rare bass flute.