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.
an organ stop with wide flue pipes, having a flutelike tone.
Architecture, Furniture. a channel, groove, or furrow, as on the shaft of a column.
any groove or furrow, as in a ruffle of cloth or on a piecrust.
one of the helical grooves of a twist drill.
a slender, footed wineglass of the 17th century, having a tall, conical bowl.
a similar stemmed glass, used especially for champagne.
verb (used without object),flut·ed,flut·ing.
to produce flutelike sounds.
to play on a flute.
(of a metal strip or sheet) to kink or break in bending.
verb (used with object),flut·ed,flut·ing.
to utter in flutelike tones.
to form longitudinal flutes or furrows in: to flute a piecrust.
Origin of flute
1350–1400;Middle Englishfloute < Middle Frenchflaüte, flahute, fleüte < Old Provençalflaüt (perhaps alteration of flaujol, flauja) < Vulgar Latin*flabeolum. See flageolet, lute1
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
any pipe blown directly on the principle of a flue pipe, either by means of a mouth hole or through a fipple
architecta rounded shallow concave groove on the shaft of a column, pilaster, etc
a groove or furrow in cloth, etc
a tall narrow wineglass
anything shaped like a flute
verb
to produce or utter (sounds) in the manner or tone of a flute
(tr)to make grooves or furrows in
Derived Formsflutelike, adjectivefluty, adjective
Word Origin for flute
C14: from Old French flahute, via Old Provençal, from Vulgar Latin flabeolum (unattested); perhaps also influenced by Old Provençal laut lute; see flageolet
late 14c., "to play upon the flute," from flute (n.). Meaning "to make (architectural) flutes" is from 1570s. Related: Fluted; fluting.
flute
n.
early 14c., from Old French flaute (12c.), from Old Provençal flaut, of uncertain origin, perhaps imitative or from Latin flare "to blow;" perhaps influenced by Provençal laut "lute." The other Germanic words (cf. German flöte) are likewise borrowings from French.
Ancient flutes were blown through a mouthpiece, like a recorder; the modern transverse or German flute developed 18c. The older style then sometimes were called flûte-a-bec (French, literally "flute with a beak"). The modern design and key system of the concert flute were perfected 1834 by Theobald Boehm. The architectural sense of "furrow in a pillar" (1650s) is from fancied resemblance to the inside of a flute split down the middle. Meaning "tall, slender wine glass" is from 1640s.
