Chalumeau
//ˌʃælʊˈməʊ// noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A woodwind instrument which was the predecessor of the clarinet.
- 2 The lowest range of the clarinet, reaching up to written B♭ (B flat) above middle C.
Etymology
Borrowed from French chalumeau, from Late Latin calamellus, diminutive of Latin calamus (“reed”), from Ancient Greek κάλαμος (kálamos, “reed”). Doublet of shawm and probably caramel.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.