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sousaphone

[ soo-zuh-fohn, -suh- ]
/ ˈsu zəˌfoʊn, -sə- /

noun

a form of bass tuba, similar to the helicon, used in brass bands.

Nearby words

sous-chef, sous-sous, sous-vide, sousa, sousa, john philip, sousaphone, souse, soused, souslik, sousse, soustelle

Origin of sousaphone

1920–25; named after J. P. Sousa; see -phone
Related formssou·sa·phon·ist, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for sousaphone

sousaphone

/ (ˈsuːzəˌfəʊn) /

noun

music a large tuba that encircles the player's body and has a bell facing forwards
Derived Formssousaphonist, noun

Word Origin for sousaphone

C20: named after John Philip Sousa
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sousaphone

sousaphone

n.

1903, named for U.S. bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa (1854-1932).

The first sousaphone was made by C.G. Conn in 1899 expressly for Sousa's band and its bell opened directly upward. The present bell-front type was first made in 1908. ["International Cyclopedia of Music," 1939]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Culture definitions for sousaphone

sousaphone

A kind of tuba that wraps around the player's body so that it can be carried easily while marching.

Note

The sousaphone is named after the bandmaster John Philip Sousa, who suggested building the instrument in this shape.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.