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.

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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

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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.

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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

In 1956, Rollins released his sixth and one of his best-known albums Saxophone Colossus.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

"St. Thomas," which appeared on "Saxophone Colossus" and became his best-known song, incorporated Caribbean calypso that he had heard as a child.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

And it should be fun to hear what she makes of John Adams’s Saxophone Concerto, featuring the impressive Branford Marsalis.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2020

Saxophone and violin add a kind of rootsy Balkan energy to classic British post-punk, with a dynamo rhythm section and ranting lyrics about Kendall Jenner.

From The Guardian • Dec. 28, 2018

Saxophone, trombone, piccolo, snare-drum and other barbaric instruments opened with a brazen defiance of music, and a vibrant assurance of quick, raw, strong sounds.

From The Day of the Beast by Grey, Zane