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flute

Syllabification: (flute)
Pronunciation: /flo͞ot/

Translate flute | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of flute

noun

  • 1a wind instrument made from a tube with holes along it that are stopped by the fingers or keys, held vertically or horizontally so that the player’s breath strikes a narrow edge. The modern orchestral form, typically made of metal, is held horizontally and has an elaborate set of keys.
  • an organ stop with wooden or metal flue pipes producing a similar tone.
  • 2 Architecture an ornamental vertical groove in a column.
  • a trumpet-shaped frill on a dress or other garment.
  • a cylindrical groove, as on pastry.
  • 3a tall, narrow wine glass:a flute of champagne

verb

  • 1 [with direct speech] speak in a melodious way reminiscent of the sound of a flute:“What do you do?” she fluted
  • [no object] literary play, or seem to play, a flute or pipe:to him who sat upon the rocks, and fluted to the morning sea [with object]:some swan fluting a wild carol
  • 2 [with object] (often as adjective fluted) make flutes or grooves in:fluted columns
  • make trumpet-shaped frills on (a garment):a fluted collar

Derivatives

flutelike

Pronunciation: /-ˌlīk/

adjective

Origin:

Middle English: from Old French flahute, probably from Provençal flaüt, perhaps a blend of flaujol 'flageolet' + laüt 'lute'

flute in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of flute in the British & World English dictionary