woodwind

wood·wind | \ ˈwu̇d-ˌwind

Definition of woodwind

1 : any of a group of wind instruments (such as a clarinet, flute, oboe, or saxophone) that are characterized by a cylindrical or conical tube of wood or metal usually ending in a slightly flared bell, that produce tones by the vibration of one or two reeds in the mouthpiece or by the passing of air over a mouth hole, and that usually have finger holes or keys by which the player may produce all the tones within an instrument's range

2 woodwinds plural : the woodwind section of a band or orchestra

Examples of woodwind in a Sentence

He plays all the woodwind instruments very well.

Recent Examples on the Web The setup pushed the tone forward — brass and woodwinds became a flying wedge, breaking through the line of the proscenium — a brawny, punchy sound that was exploited to the hilt in a brisk, brash reading of Dvorák’s op. — Washington Post, "At the Kennedy Center, Eschenbach casts the NSO in standard but staunch roles," 25 Jan. 2020 The clinchers, though, were the woodwinds, especially a haunting solo by assistant principal clarinetist Daniel McKelway. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland, "Cleveland Orchestra soars in Sibelius, Knussen with boost from gifted champions," 7 Feb. 2020 The 30-piece ensemble filled with brass and woodwind instruments wears traditional uniforms, plays on Sundays in the Spreckels Temple of Music and Music Concourse and favors a classic, eclectic, crowd-friendly program. — Peter Hartlaub, SFChronicle.com, "Ten SF creations that helped define Golden Gate Park. You can enjoy them all today," 4 Apr. 2020 The woodwinds also flourished, demonstrating virtuosity in every variety of solo and ensemble passage, and the brass and timpani under his watch were knights in shining armor, leading one magnificent charge after another. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland, "Cleveland Orchestra delivers first-rate Bruckner Fifth with Herbert Blomstedt," 28 Feb. 2020 The strings, in the second movement, popped with uniform electricity, and the woodwinds in the Scherzo were musical poets, one and all. — Zachary Lewis, cleveland.com, "Jahja Ling conjures true spirit of Blossom with Cleveland Orchestra, Conrad Tao," 15 July 2019 Programs include piano, string, brass, woodwind, mariachi and choir classes, all of which have been postponed in person. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Nonprofits face growing demands even as they cancel fundraisers. Here's how you can help," 24 Mar. 2020 Categories include music education, brass, classical guitar, organ, piano, marimba/classical steel drum, voice, woodwinds, strings and a new scholarship in viola. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "Tuesday Musical scholarships now open for Ohio college students," 18 Dec. 2019 The perfectionist woodwinds — piccolos, flutes, clarinets and saxophones — are invariably drowned out by the brass section, meaning their dedication to musicianship doesn’t rely on recognition. — Jessica Lehrman, New York Times, "When U.S.C. Plays U.C.L.A., They Play Too," 30 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'woodwind.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.