clarinet

American  

[klar-uh-net] / ˌklær əˈnɛt /

noun

clarinets plural

1. a woodwind instrument in the form of a cylindrical tube with a single reed attached to its mouthpiece.

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clarinet British  

/ ˌklærɪˈnɛt /

noun

1. 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

2. an orchestral musician who plays the clarinet

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clarinet Cultural  

1. A woodwind instrument, usually made of black wood or plastic, and played with a single reed. The clarinet has extensive use in Dixieland, jazz, and military music, as well as in classical music.

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Discover More

The most famous American clarinetist was Benny Goodman.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• clarinetist
  noun
• clarinettist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• clarinets
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

clarinet clarinets

Having grown up in an affluent New York household, he was talented enough on clarinet and saxophone to have sat in with Stan Getz’s band and attended Juilliard for a time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

After he was declared unfit to serve in the military due to a lung issue, he went on to play clarinet and saxophone in a band.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

Early in his life, Greenspan studied at the Juilliard School, where he focused on the clarinet and saxophone, according to his autobiography.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

"I want other young people with JIA to know they shouldn't let it stop them doing what they love – for me, that's baking, writing, and playing the clarinet."

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

Carole played the clarinet in the school band.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

The farmers and miners got to hear the most intoxicating music on Earth from brassy cornet players and driving saxophonists, exotic trombone mutes, squealing trumpets and sultry clarinets.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2024

She gave as an example a scene at Eric’s ranch in Wyoming where “oboes and clarinets play triplets, suggesting someone riding a horse.”

From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023

With this anything-goes approach, producer Pete Miles encouraged the group to pick up instruments they'd never played before, from clarinets to pipe organs.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2023

Unlike rice or cushions or clarinets, you can’t box up surplus electricity for later.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

They are lean, salmon-faced, and earnest; they have serious eyes; they carry their weapons barrel-down, slinging them over their shoulders like clarinets.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr