saxophone

1 of 2

noun (1)

sax·​o·​phone ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn 

: 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

ˌsak-sə-ˈfō-nik 

-ˈfä-

adjective

saxophonist

ˈsak-sə-ˌfō-nist 

especially British sak-ˈsä-fə-

noun

Illustration of saxophone

saxophonist

2 of 2

noun (2)

sax·​o·​phon·​ist -ˌfōnə̇st chiefly British sakˈsäfənə̇st 

plural -s

: a player on the saxophone

Examples of saxophone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The album mostly abandons the saxophone, the instrument Gendel is known for, instead opting for Auto-Tuned rap, glitchy R&B, and corroded 808s. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026

No, the Foos didn’t augment their lineup with a synth of a saxophone player, instead lead guitarist Chris Shiflett interpreted that famous riff. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2026

Yamaha was doing it in 1993 with the VL1, mathematically recreating the airflow, reeds, and resonances of saxophones and other acoustic instruments, while Line 6, among others, later applied the same broad idea to guitar amps. — New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026

Hawkins remembers summer evenings when Ford would sit on his back porch playing saxophone or open the windows of his home and let the music carry through the neighborhood. — Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for saxophone

• acetone
• anglophone
• baritone
• bourguignon
• buspirone
• chaperon
• chaperone
• cobblestone
• collarbone
• cornerstone
• cortisone
• dictaphone

Kids Definition

saxophone

noun

sax·​o·​phone ˈsak-sə-ˌfōn 

: a musical instrument of the woodwind class consisting of a usually curved metal tube with finger keys and a reed mouthpiece

saxophonist

-ˌfō-nəst 

noun

Etymology

Noun

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