saxophone

sax·o·phone

noun \ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn\

Definition of SAXOPHONE

: one of a group of single-reed woodwind instruments ranging from soprano to bass and characterized by a conical metal tube and finger keys

— sax·o·phon·ic \ˌsak-sə-ˈfō-nik, -ˈfä-\ adjective

— sax·o·phon·ist \ˈsak-sə-ˌfō-nist, especially British sak-ˈsä-fə-\ noun

Illustration of SAXOPHONE

Origin of SAXOPHONE

French, from Antoine Sax †1894 Belgian instrument maker + French -phone

First Known Use: 1851

Rhymes with SAXOPHONE

acetone, allophone, altar stone, anglophone, anklebone, barbitone, baritone, bombardon, brain hormone, buffer zone, Canal Zone, cannon bone, cherrystone, cinder cone, cobblestone, coffin bone, collarbone, comfort zone, cornerstone, cortisone, crazy bone, crumple zone, curling stone, cuttlebone, demand loan, diaphone, Dictaphone, ecotone, epigone, fracture zone, francophone, frigid zone, frontal bone, funny bone, gramophone, growth hormone, hammerstone, herringbone, hold one's own, holystone, homophone, hydrophone, ice-cream cone, ironstone, kidney stone, knucklebone, leading tone, leave alone, let alone, lithopone, marrowbone, megaphone, mellophone, methadone, microphone, microtone, minestrone, monotone, neutral zone, on one's own, overblown, overgrown, overtone, plant hormone, polyphone, prednisone, provolone, quarter tone, rotenone, rottenstone, sacaton, semitone, sex hormone, shacklebone, shatter cone, silicone, sousaphone, speakerphone, stand-alone, stepping-stone, telephone, temperate zone, temporal bone, thunderstone, Torreón, torrid zone, traffic cone, twilight zone, undertone, vibraphone, Yellowstone

saxophone

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Single-reed wind instrument with a conical metal tube and finger keys. Though made of brass, it is classified as a woodwind instrument. Its mouthpiece resembles that of the clarinet. The saxophone family includes instruments with at least eight different ranges, the tenor and alto instruments being the most common. The smallest (highest-range) saxophones are straight; the rest have curved necks and their bells are bent up and out. Transposing instruments (producing a higher or lower pitch than indicated in music written for it) in B-flat and E-flat, all have the same written 3-octave range. The saxophone was patented in 1846 by Adolphe Sax, who created two separate instrument families, for military and orchestral use respectively. Though few composers included saxophones in their orchestral scores, they became centrally important in military, dance, and jazz bands.