trumpet

American  

[truhm-pit] / ˈtrʌm pɪt /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to proclaim or sound loudly

trumpet Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of trumpet

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

Example Sentences

But there’s trumpets on the record that almost sound like the beginning of “Wheel of Fortune.”

From Los Angeles Times

Flea, was a little boy, his attraction to the trumpet was all-consuming and amorous.

From Los Angeles Times

He kept coming back again and again, and every time Marlene would run at him across the garden, trumpeting, tossing her ears, flapping them, but that only infuriated the dog even more.

From Literature

Thudding drums, an electric guitar that chugs like a tank’s engine turning over and blaring trumpet fanfare announce the onset of football on CBS, Fox and NBC.

From Salon

The WBC allowed fans to bring in 16 “permissible instruments,” including bongos, cowbells, maracas and trumpets.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advertise
• proclaim
• publish
• tout