trumpet

[truhm-pit]

noun

1. Music.

   1. any of a family of brass wind instruments with a powerful, penetrating tone, consisting of a tube commonly curved once or twice around on itself and having a cup-shaped mouthpiece at one end and a flaring bell at the other.

   2. an organ stop having a tone resembling that of a trumpet.

   3. a trumpeter.

2. something used as or resembling a trumpet, especially in sound.

3. a sound like that of a trumpet.

4. the loud shrill cry of an animal, especially an elephant.

5. ear trumpet.

6. trumpets, any of several pitcher plants of the southeastern U.S.

verb (used without object)

1. to blow a trumpet.

2. to emit a loud, trumpetlike cry, as an elephant.

verb (used with object)

1. to sound on a trumpet.

2. to utter with a sound like that of a trumpet.

3. to proclaim loudly or widely.

trumpet

/ ˈtrʌmpɪt /

noun

1. a valved brass instrument of brilliant tone consisting of a narrow tube of cylindrical bore ending in a flared bell, normally pitched in B flat. Range: two and a half octaves upwards from F sharp on the fourth line of the bass staff

2. any instrument consisting of a valveless tube ending in a bell, esp a straight instrument used for fanfares, signals, etc

3. a person who plays a trumpet in an orchestra

4. a loud sound such as that of a trumpet, esp when made by an animal

   the trumpet of the elephants

5. an eight-foot reed stop on an organ

6. something resembling a trumpet in shape, esp in having a flared bell

7. short for ear trumpet

8. to boast about oneself; brag

verb

1. to proclaim or sound loudly

trumpet

1. A brass instrument with a brilliant tone, much used in classical music, as well as in military music and jazz.

Other Word Forms

• trumpetless adjective
• trumpetlike adjective
• untrumpeted adjective
• trumpet-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trumpet¹

1300–50; Middle English trumpette, trompette < French, equivalent to trompe trump ² + -ette -et

Word History and Origins

Origin of trumpet¹

C13: from Old French trompette a little _trump ²

Example Sentences

And then to trumpet their triumphs to everyone they knew.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“I was like, OK, I’m going to have to rearrange this. There’s like trumpets and strings, and I’m like, ‘I’m only doing piano.’”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

We find Louis Armstrong in a louder moment, his body and his trumpet framed by the long bell of a neighbor’s clarinet, his head thrown back in rollicking laughter.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Myanmar's junta has long been accused of turning a blind eye but has trumpeted a crackdown since February after being lobbied by key military backer China, experts say.

Read more on Barron's

A pinched approximation of a muted trumpet suggests some kind of mutant jazz unfolding nearby, while unpredictable pitch changes conjure visions of a tape slipping off a spool.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advertise 
• proclaim 
• publish 
• tout