clarinet

American  

[klar-uh-net] / ˌklær əˈnɛt /

noun

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

• clarinetist noun
• clarinettist noun

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

"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

Aside from a mournful clarinet line in the first part of its third and final movement, the work had a surprisingly ebullient spirt for something composed by a Dane in 1944.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

After all, I play clarinet in a klezmer band.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

The score is a tone poem for cascading piano, string quartet and sighing clarinet lines.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

I tell the teacher that I left my clarinet at home, even though it’s in my locker.

From "Every Day" by David Levithan