mellophone

American  

[mel-uh-fohn] / ˈmɛl əˌfoʊn /

noun

1. a marching or military band brass instrument similar in appearance and range to the French horn but slightly smaller and simpler to play.

---

mellophone British  

/ ˈmɛləˌfəʊn /

noun

1. music a brass band instrument similar in tone to a French horn

---

Etymology

Origin of mellophone

First recorded in 1925–30; mello(w) + -phone

Compare meaning

How does mellophone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• mellophone vs. French horn

Example Sentences

As the sun blistered the parking lot, rows of trumpet, tuba and mellophone players marched back and forth, wiping sweat from their foreheads at the end of each passage of music.

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2023

Wendy Harrell, who played the mellophone in the former band, met her husband, a trombone player, shortly after she successfully auditioned for the group in 2001.

From Washington Post • Aug. 25, 2022

She had sent Jesse to Obama’s second inauguration, where he marched in the parade playing the mellophone with his high school band.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2020

Take Stephanie and Chris Pinkstaff, who have two children — flutist Sydney and mellophone player Logan — in the band.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 4, 2017

Intermediate steps to the band: E flat alto horn or mellophone.

From U.S. Copyright Renewals, 1974 July - December by Library of Congress. Copyright Office