flute

[ floot ]

noun

1. a musical wind instrument consisting of a tube with a series of fingerholes or keys, in which the wind is directed against a sharp edge, either directly, as in the modern transverse flute, or through a flue, as in the recorder.
2. an organ stop with wide flue pipes, having a flutelike tone.
3. Architecture, Furniture. a channel, groove, or furrow, as on the shaft of a column.
4. any groove or furrow, as in a ruffle of cloth or on a piecrust.
5. one of the helical grooves of a twist drill.
6. a slender, footed wineglass of the 17th century, having a tall, conical bowl.
7. a similar stemmed glass, used especially for champagne.

verb (used without object)

, flut·ed, flut·ing.

1. to produce flutelike sounds.
2. to play on a flute.
3. (of a metal strip or sheet) to kink or break in bending.

verb (used with object)

, flut·ed, flut·ing.

1. to utter in flutelike tones.
2. to form longitudinal flutes or furrows in:

   to flute a piecrust.

flute

/ fluːt /

noun

1. a wind instrument consisting of an open cylindrical tube of wood or metal having holes in the side stopped either by the fingers or by pads controlled by keys. The breath is directed across a mouth hole cut in the side, causing the air in the tube to vibrate. Range: about three octaves upwards from middle C
2. any pipe blown directly on the principle of a flue pipe, either by means of a mouth hole or through a fipple
3. architect a rounded shallow concave groove on the shaft of a column, pilaster, etc
4. a groove or furrow in cloth, etc
5. a tall narrow wineglass
6. anything shaped like a flute

verb

1. to produce or utter (sounds) in the manner or tone of a flute
2. tr to make grooves or furrows in

flute

1. A high-pitched woodwind , held horizontally by the player and played by blowing across a hole.

Derived Forms

• ˈfluty, adjective
• ˈfluteˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• flutelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of flute¹

1350–1400; Middle English floute < Middle French flaüte, flahute, fleüte < Old Provençal flaüt (perhaps alteration of flaujol, flauja ) < Vulgar Latin *flabeolum. See flageolet, lute ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of flute¹

C14: from Old French flahute , via Old Provençal, from Vulgar Latin flabeolum (unattested); perhaps also influenced by Old Provençal laut lute; see flageolet

Example Sentences

Police picked up the flute from the pawnshop on Wednesday, Rabin said.

From Washington Post

Retrieving the flute had little to do with its monetary worth, he said.

From Washington Post

Meanwhile, Gabe Coconate, the owner of West Town Jewelry & Loan, told the Chicago Sun-Times he had already called police on Monday after his wife recognized the flute on a news report.

From Washington Post

The flute is my livelihood and I’m trying every possible thing I can do to get it back.

From Washington Post

A six-pack of 12-ounce cans works out to the equivalent of nine champagne flutes, which is great for a group.

From Outside Online

If you drink from a flute, do so from a tulip-shape one to concentrate the notes, Simonetti-Bryan says.

From The Daily Beast

By the time of the recording session, Brian had become quite agile with the flute and suggested adding it to the song.

From The Daily Beast

Dodge was on his way to study the flute in Paris, but he decided to buy the bike, anyway.

From The Daily Beast

Despite the sheer hilarity of the music itself, Detweiler claims that the flute drops are not an intentional joke.

From The Daily Beast

At age 5, Desplat began to play the piano; his attention eventually turned to flute.

From The Daily Beast

The flute and the psaltery make a sweet melody, but a pleasant tongue is above them both.

From Project Gutenberg

The flute, a component part of the organ, is one of the most ancient of musical instruments.

From Project Gutenberg

By blowing across this ring a fair but somewhat feeble Flute tone is produced.

From Project Gutenberg

The most admirable instruments of this characteristic have been variously compared to a flute or to the female voice.

From Project Gutenberg

We have worked this out for all classes of tone—string, flute and diapason—and the law holds good in every instance.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blare
• hiss