clarinet
Americannoun
noun
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Obsolete name: clarionet. a keyed woodwind instrument with a cylindrical bore and a single reed. It is a transposing instrument, most commonly pitched in A or B flat
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an orchestral musician who plays the clarinet
Discover More
The most famous American clarinetist was Benny Goodman.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of clarinet
1790–1800; < French clarinette, equivalent to Old French clarin clarion + -ette -ette
Explanation
A clarinet is a woodwind instrument. A clarinet has a simple, straight tube with intricate keys, a single-reed mouthpiece, and a flared, bell-shaped end. When you play the clarinet, you blow through the mouthpiece and make notes with your fingers on the keys. Clarinets are distinctive because they are straight, with a black body and silver keys, and have a large pitch range. The word clarinet comes from the French clarinette, the diminutive form of clarine. "little bell," which comes from clair, "bright or clear."
Vocabulary lists containing clarinet
Musical Instruments - Introductory
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Musical Instruments - Middle School
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Musical Instruments - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clarinet student Precious Manning, a former student of Pimpleton’s, found solace in having a Black band teacher.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2023
Clarinet player Tara Allen recalled how the word had been used against her as a child, in a message directed towards Beyoncé's official Twitter account.
From BBC • Aug. 1, 2022
The album includes a Stravinsky-influenced Divertimento for Nine Instruments; a pointillist and perky Clarinet Concerto, with Michael Norsworthy as soloist; and the premiere recording of Variations on a Theme by Edward Burlingame Hill.
From New York Times • Dec. 30, 2021
Mozart 1791: Music From The Magic Flute Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil are joined by guest vocalists for selections from Mozart’s opera; program also includes Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto featuring Martin Fröst.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2017
Clarinet, a commercial news service available through Usenet, also has a clipping program.
From The Online World by De Presno, Odd
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
