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 My friends play the saxophone, the flute, the guitar. Rachel Sherman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024 Burns happens to be a multi-instrumentalist who plays the piano, standup bass, saxophone and tuba. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024 As Witherspoon marked her 48th birthday Friday, Garner shared a video on Instagram showing herself playing saxophone outside in sunglasses. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 The orchestra’s three saxophone players (Adam Schroeder, Jason Fabus and Phillip Whack) and keyboardist Adam Ledbetter got a great workout in the Stevie Wonder section, and the string section added luster to many of the songs. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Apr. 2024 Viewers were treated to a collection of photos and video clips of Witherspoon — while Garner played the saxophone. Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2024 Jake Clemons: backing vocals, saxophones, percussion (2012-present). Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 15 Mar. 2024 Multiple voices and instruments Antonoff’s open-hearted ode, with the saxophone blasts that have highlighted recent Bleachers singles turned into wandering thoughts and feelings; soon enough, the song collapses into a warm puddle of guitar, capturing a feeling of exhausted contentment. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2024 Duranguense, known by its mix of saxophone, keyboard, and tambora, peaked in the mid-2000s. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saxophone.' 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

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

Dictionary Entries Near saxophone

Cite this Entry

“Saxophone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saxophone. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on saxophone

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