cornet

1 of 2

noun (1)

cor·​net kȯr-ˈnet 

 British usually  ˈkȯ-nit

1

: a valved brass instrument resembling a trumpet in design and range but having a shorter partly conical tube and less brilliant tone

2

: something shaped like a cone: such as

a

: a piece of paper twisted for use as a container

b

: a cone-shaped pastry shell that is often filled with whipped cream

c

British : an ice-cream cone

cornetist noun

or cornettist

kȯr-ˈne-tist 

 British usually  ˈkȯ-ni-tist

cornet

2 of 2

noun (2)

1

: the standard of a cavalry troop

2

a

: the onetime fifth grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop who carried the standard

b

: the onetime lowest commissioned rank in the U.S. cavalry

Did you know?

Like the trumpet, the cornet is a brass instrument with three valves, but its bore is somewhat more conical. Its range parallels that of the trumpet. It evolved in the 1820s, and its agility made it a very popular solo instrument. It often displaced the trumpet in 19th-century orchestras, and it preceded the trumpet in modern dance and jazz bands. Recent developments have made the two instruments very similar, and the cornet's popularity has waned considerably as a result.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• horn
• tube

Examples of cornet in a Sentence

Noun (1)

cornets of pastry dough that were baked and later filled with cream

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For the album, he's backed by Americana favorites including Gabe Witcher on violin (Punch Brothers, Rosanne Cash), Sebastian Steinberg on bass (Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers), and Charles De Castro on accordion and cornet (Keb' Mo'). —Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025

While recovering from cancer, Jackson pursued his lifelong dream of designing and measuring the acoustical properties of woodwind instruments, particularly Renaissance-era flutes, crumhorns, and cornets. —IEEE Spectrum, 24 July 2025

Flanking him, a cornet player and a percussionist bounced to the rhythm. —Ben Miller Laetitia Vançon, New York Times, 24 July 2025

Hudson joined a family of musicians: his father played flute, drums, cornet and the saxophone, performing regularly in local dance bands, while his mother was a vocalist, who also played the accordion and piano. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English cornet, cornette "six-holed wooden wind instrument" (now usually cornett or cornetto), borrowed from Middle French cornet, from corn "horn" (going back to Old French, going back to Latin cornum, cornū) + -et -et entry 1 — more at horn

Noun (2)

borrowed from Middle French cornette "lappet terminating a woman's headdress, pennon, standard of a troop, officer holding the standard," from corne "horn, wimple with horn-like appendages," going back to Latin cornua, plural (taken as singular) of cornū "horn" — more at horn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cornet

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• brevet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

cornet

noun

cor·​net

kȯr-ˈnet

1

: a brass instrument like the trumpet but having a shorter tube and a softer tone

2

: something shaped like a cone

cornetist noun

or cornettist

-ˈnet-əst

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cornet "cornet," from early French cornet, literally, "little horn," from Latin cornu "horn" — related to corn entry 3