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Flute

//fluːt// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A woodwind instrument consisting of a tube with a row of holes that produce sound through vibrations caused by air blown across the edge of the holes, often tuned by plugging one or more holes with a finger; the Western concert flute, a transverse side-blown flute of European origin.

    "The breathing flute's ſoft notes are heard around, / And the ſhril trumpets mix their ſilver ſound; / The vaulted roofs vvith echoing muſic ring, / Theſe touch the vocal ſtops, and thoſe the trembling ſtring."

  2. 2
    A kind of flyboat; a storeship.
  3. 3
    a high-pitched woodwind instrument; a slender tube closed at one end with finger holes on one end and an opening near the closed end across which the breath is blown wordnet
  4. 4
    A recorder, also a woodwind instrument. colloquial
  5. 5
    a groove or furrow in cloth etc. (particularly a shallow concave groove on the shaft of a column) wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    A glass with a long, narrow bowl and a long stem, used for drinking wine, especially champagne.

    "These are champagne glasses, says Peggy. No, I mean the tall ones, Jamie says. You're thinking of flutes, says Peggy. These are coupes."

  2. 7
    a tall narrow wineglass wordnet
  3. 8
    A lengthwise groove, such as one of the lengthwise grooves on a classical column, or a groove on a cutting tool (such as a drill bit, endmill, or reamer), which helps to form both a cutting edge and a channel through which chips can escape.
  4. 9
    A semicylindrical vertical groove, as in a pillar, in plaited cloth, or in a rifle barrel to cut down the weight.
  5. 10
    A long French bread roll, baguette.
  6. 11
    An organ stop with a flute-like sound.
  7. 12
    A shuttle in weaving tapestry etc.
Verb
  1. 1
    To play on a flute. intransitive
  2. 2
    form flutes in wordnet
  3. 3
    To make a flutelike sound. intransitive

    "The green turf was velvet underfoot. The blackbirds fluted in the hazels there."

  4. 4
    To utter with a flutelike sound. transitive

    "“Oh, there's my precious Poppet,” said Phyllis, as a distant barking reached the ears. “He's asking for his dinner, the sweet little angel. All right, darling, Mother's coming,” she fluted, and buzzed off on the errand of mercy."

  5. 5
    To form flutes or channels in (as in a column, a ruffle, etc.); to cut a semicylindrical vertical groove in (as in a pillar, etc.). transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English fleute, floute, flote, from Old French flaute, fleüte, from Old Provençal flaüt, of uncertain origin. Perhaps ultimately from three possibilities: * Blend of Provencal flaujol (“flageolet”) + laüt (“lute”) * From Latin flātus (“blowing”), from flāre (“to blow”) * Imitative. Doublet of flauta and fluyt.

Etymology 2

From Middle English fleute, floute, flote, from Old French flaute, fleüte, from Old Provençal flaüt, of uncertain origin. Perhaps ultimately from three possibilities: * Blend of Provencal flaujol (“flageolet”) + laüt (“lute”) * From Latin flātus (“blowing”), from flāre (“to blow”) * Imitative. Doublet of flauta and fluyt.

Etymology 3

Compare French flûte (“a transport”)?, Dutch fluit.

See also for "flute"

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