saxophone

noun

sax·​o·​phone ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn How to pronounce saxophone (audio)
: one of a group of single-reed woodwind instruments usually ranging from soprano to bass and characterized by a conical metal tube and finger keys
saxophonic adjective
saxophonist
ˈsak-sə-ˌfō-nist How to pronounce saxophone (audio)
 especially British  sak-ˈsä-fə-
noun

Illustration of saxophone

Illustration of saxophone

Examples of saxophone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Paulino said that Pérez’s saxophone player was killed in the incident. Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025 He was famously plagued by a stream sniper known as Juul Trooper, who would wear a banana costume when seeking out Lengyel to kill him and then emote over his character’s dead body, usually by playing the saxophone while the creator screamed with rage. Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2025 Gradually, the music mutates into something more alien: off-key chiming of a clock, percussive piano clanking and plucking, atonal saxophone solos that sound as if an instrument is being dropped. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025 The jazz band includes some of the top young players in the state, led by teen saxophone virtuoso Kahlil Childs, who won the Jazz Excellence Organization’s Young Artist Grant. San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for saxophone

Word History

Etymology

French, from Antoine-Joseph (or Adolphe) Sax †1894 Belgian instrument maker + French -phone

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saxophone was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Saxophone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saxophone. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

saxophone

noun
sax·​o·​phone ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn How to pronounce saxophone (audio)
: a musical instrument of the woodwind class consisting of a usually curved metal tube with finger keys and a reed mouthpiece
saxophonist noun
Etymology

named for Antoine "Adolph" Sax 1814–1894 a Belgian maker of musical instruments

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