trumpet

1 of 2

noun

trum·​pet ˈtrəm-pət How to pronounce trumpet (audio)
1
a
: a wind instrument consisting of a conical or cylindrical usually metal tube, a cup-shaped mouthpiece, and a flared bell
specifically : a valved brass instrument having a cylindrical tube with two turns and a usual range from F sharp below middle C upward for 2¹/₂ octaves
b
: a musical instrument (such as a cornet) resembling a trumpet
2
: a trumpet player
3
: something that resembles a trumpet or its tonal quality: such as
a
: a funnel-shaped instrument (such as a megaphone) for collecting, directing, or intensifying sound
b(1)
: a stentorian voice
(2)
: a penetrating cry (as of an elephant)
trumpetlike adjective

Illustration of trumpet

Illustration of trumpet
  • trumpet 1a

trumpet

2 of 2

verb

trumpeted; trumpeting; trumpets

intransitive verb

1
: to blow a trumpet
2
: to make a sound suggestive of that of a trumpet

transitive verb

: to sound or proclaim on or as if on a trumpet
trumpet the news

Examples of trumpet in a Sentence

Noun the trumpet of a flower Verb He likes to trumpet his own achievements. The law was trumpeted as a solution to everything.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
From overhead speakers, a trumpet solo echoed across the platform. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2023 Onstage, Sakamoto freestyled on a toy trumpet, while Paik spoke, landing something between standup comedy and performance art. Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2023 The Daily News reported that a makeshift memorial of six white prayer candles and a miniature trumpet was left in front of the high school to pay tribute to the victims on Friday. Brian Brant, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 At the center was a man who played an Andean trumpet of war called a pututu. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 In 2021, Hamas again sounded the trumpets over its supposedly game-changing drone program. WIRED, 21 Oct. 2023 The subgenre rooted in traditional Mexican instrumentation—trumpets, tubas, twelve-string guitars—sounds completely different than anything in rap, but the flexing and raw, melancholic melodies will resonate. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2023 The trumpets at the beginning of the song add nice texture, too.—S.C. 13. TIME, 25 Oct. 2023 The jazz musician will blow his beloved trumpet again in A Wonderful World, A New Musical about the Life and Loves of Louis Armstrong, now playing in New Orleans's Saenger Theatre through Oct. 8. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2023
Verb
India no longer keeps its friendship with Israel out of view and instead trumpets Israeli-style aspirations for muscular foreign and security policies. Karishma Mehrotra, Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2023 Cameron and Republicans, meanwhile, have aired TV ads trumpeting Donald Trump’s endorsement of Cameron, knocking Beshear on education and his handling of Covid, and tying the Democratic governor to President Joe Biden. Mark Murray, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2023 Perhaps just as important but less trumpeted is how the fort was renamed – guided by Washington but carried out by locals. Noah Robertson, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Aug. 2023 President Joe Biden has been pounding the pavement to trumpet $5 billion in new investments to juice rural economies, hoping that voters will reward him and fellow Democrats for infrastructure projects ramping up across the country. Christine Romans, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2023 Similarly, in recognition of the suffering and anguish felt by many of their own employees, some companies are understandably prioritizing internal staff e-mail blasts and meetings with employee groups over news releases publicly trumpeting their solidarity. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2023 Who doesn’t want to trumpet the fun of Austin Reaves, the maturity of D’Angelo Russell, the shooting of Rui Hachimura, the smarts of Gabe Vincent, the toughness of Taurean Prince, the promise of Max Christie, the potential of Christian Wood and … ? Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2023 Since the Apple Watch was unveiled in 2014, it has been trumpeted not only as a high tech fashion accessory, but also as a way for people to track their own health and fitness. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 24 Oct. 2023 The social networking companies that once trumpeted efforts to combat misinformation are showing signs of waning interest. Stuart A. Thompson, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trumpet.' 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 trompette, from Anglo-French, from trumpe trump

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near trumpet

Cite this Entry

“Trumpet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trumpet. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

trumpet

1 of 2 noun
trum·​pet ˈtrəm-pət How to pronounce trumpet (audio)
1
: a wind instrument consisting of a long cylindrical metal tube commonly once or twice curved and ending in a bell
2
: something shaped like a trumpet
3
: a sound like that of a trumpet

trumpet

2 of 2 verb
1
: to blow a trumpet
2
: to make a sound like that of a trumpet

More from Merriam-Webster on trumpet

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