saxophone

American  

[sak-suh-fohn] / ˈsæk səˌfoʊn /

noun

saxophones plural

1. a musical wind instrument consisting of a conical, usually brass tube with keys or valves and a mouthpiece with one reed.

---

saxophone British  

/ ˈsæksəˌfəʊn, sækˈsɒfənɪst, ˌsæksəˈfɒnɪk /

noun

1. Often shortened to: sax.  a keyed wind instrument of mellow tone colour, used mainly in jazz and dance music. It is made in various sizes, has a conical bore, and a single reed

---

saxophone Cultural  

1. A wind instrument classified as a woodwind because it is played with a reed, although it is usually made of metal. Saxophones appear mainly in jazz, dance, and military bands. They are made in several ranges, from soprano to bass.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• saxophonist
  noun
• saxophonic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• saxophones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of saxophone

1850–55; Sax ( see saxhorn) + -o- + -phone

Explanation

A saxophone is a brass instrument that you play by blowing into a mouthpiece and pressing keys to form musical notes. John Coltrane and Charlie Parker (and Lisa Simpson :) were famous saxophone players. Saxophones are similar to instruments like clarinets, because both use a reed mouthpiece and are considered woodwinds. The saxophone, however, also qualifies as a brass instrument, like the trumpet and the tuba, since it's made out of brass and makes sound through vibrations inside the instrument's body. The word saxophone comes from Antoine Joseph Sax, the Belgian inventor of the saxophone. Sax's father, also named Sax, invented the less successful saxhorn.

Example Sentences

Music: Jagger performed along with Bobby Keys, who plays the saxophone solo on “Brown Sugar,” Stephen Stills of the group Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Doris Troy, the soul singer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

Jones, a keen vegan cook who plays the saxophone, has described former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair as his "all time" hero MP.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 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

The line might be performed by any musician or group of musicians: a singer, for example, or a bassoonist, a violin section, or a trumpet and saxophone together.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones