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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Her bowed tones flow like a violinist’s, her plucked solos sometimes bite like a bebop trumpet.

From The Wall Street Journal

We hear a Fender Rhodes piano, strummed electric guitar and a spare trumpet, conjuring images of a late night in a smoky club.

From The Wall Street Journal

An inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong shifted jazz away from an ensemble experience with collective improvisation to one focused on solo performance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Organisers have each day trumpeted the large number of people packing into Melbourne Park.

From Barron's

"Electric guitar, speakers, guitar pedals, a guitar amp, a trumpet, some sort of bongos, some pads for my computer music equipment," he recalls buying.

From BBC

Related Words

• advertise
• proclaim
• publish
• tout