flute

1 of 2

noun

1
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: such 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 adjective
fluty adjective
or flutey

Illustration of flute

Illustration of flute
  • flute 1b

flute

2 of 2

verb

fluted; fluting

intransitive verb

1
: to play a flute
2
: to produce a flutelike sound

transitive verb

1
: to utter with a flutelike sound
2
: to form flutes in
fluter noun

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.

Examples of flute in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Classical flute and Spanish guitar blared from a single Bluetooth speaker as a sound healer played crystal bowls. Michelle Lhooq, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 Guests wandered the exhibits with flutes of champagne in hand, musing over the commercial value of art, squinting at price tags higher than at least one attendees' annual salary. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2024
Verb
The Lillian fluted end table will bring a textural touch to any space in your home. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2024 The fluting casts shadows, and wall sconces marching down both sides of the store produce some ambient lighting. David Moin, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for flute 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English floute, from Anglo-French floute, fleute, from Old French flaüte, probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flute was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near flute

Cite this Entry

“Flute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flute. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

flute

1 of 2 noun
1
: a woodwind instrument played by blowing across a hole near the closed end
2
: a rounded groove
especially : one on an architectural column
flutelike adjective

flute

2 of 2 verb
fluted; fluting
1
: to play a flute
2
: to make a sound like that of a flute
3
: to form flutes in
fluted columns
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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