xylophone

American  

[zahy-luh-fohn] / ˈzaɪ ləˌfoʊn /

noun

xylophones plural

1. a musical instrument consisting of a graduated series of wooden bars, usually sounded by striking with small wooden hammers.

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xylophone British  

/ ˈzaɪləˌfəʊn, ˌzaɪləˈfɒnɪk, zaɪˈlɒfənɪst /

noun

1. music a percussion instrument consisting of a set of wooden bars of graduated length. It is played with hard-headed hammers

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• xylophonic
  adjective
• xylophonist
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• xylophones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of xylophone

First recorded in 1865–70; xylo- + -phone

Compare meaning

How does xylophone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• vibraphone vs. xylophone
• glockenspiel vs. xylophone

Explanation

A xylophone is a long musical instrument with wooden bars that is played by hitting it with small, hammer-like mallets. The xylophone produces bright, sharp tones when stuck with these hard-headed mallets. The xylo- part of this word comes from the Greek for wood — xylon — and clues us in to what gives this instrument its unique sound: the graduated bars representing tones of the scale. A related word in English is xylem, the tissue that forms the woody part of plants. The phone part means "a sound" in Greek. If your instrument has metal bars instead of wooden ones, it is more likely to be a glockenspiel, not a xylophone.

Example Sentences

Conductor in rehearsal: “Violins, you’re scratchy and flat! Trombones — don’t bray like mating zebras! Kettledrums, what extraordinarily horrendous noise! Xylophone: unbelievably grotesque — just quit! Otherwise — perfect.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2022

I can’t keep track of Anthony to Xylophone.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2021

In 1962, the band was given the chance to join The Tommy Wallis and Beryl Xylophone Team supporting yodelling crooner Frank Ifield at the Embassy Cinema, Peterborough.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2010

Xylophone and other musical instrument; together with a brief description of nearly every musical instrument used in ancient or modern times.

From The Bradys' Chinese Clew The Secrect Dens of Pell Street by Doughty, Francis Worcester

At every shipping point in the West industrious little mallets were knocking away on the Xylophone of Doubt, all playing the same tune: "Just Kiss Yourself Good-Bye!"

From Deep Furrows by Moorhouse, Hopkins