flute
/fluːt
/
noun
1A wind instrument made from a tube with holes that are stopped by the fingers or keys, held vertically or horizontally (in which case it is also called a transverse flute) so that the player’s breath strikes a narrow edge. The modern orchestral form is a transverse flute, typically made of metal, with an elaborate set of keys.Reading the literature, one can hear fiddles, wood flutes, bagpipes, guitar, mandolins and bodhráns....
- The traditional instruments are bagpipes, reed flutes, drums, and wind instruments.
- Drums and the flute were the musical instruments of the Indians before the Spanish conquest.
1.1An organ stop with wooden or metal flue pipes producing a tone similar to that of a flute.In Petrusberg, South Africa, churchgoers voted not to get rid of a friend - a cobra who lived in the ceiling, always came out to listen when the organist played the organ's flute stops, fled back to its hole when the preaching started....
- After intermission, the musicians began gently with pieces featuring the organ's flute stops and a quartet of recorders.
- A colorful Swell Oboe and Vox Humana provide the organ with attractive solo voices; the latter adds a mystical contribution to the strings and flutes of the organ.
2 Architecture An ornamental vertical groove in a column.It was yellowish-brown, and it collected in the flutes of the column....
- A more elaborate Doric capital of white marble, with flutes on the necking, is stored west of the building, to the west of the marble throne in room A.
- This capital cannot be associated with the plain marble drum because of its size and the flutes on the necking.
2.1A trumpet-shaped frill on a dress or other garment.The skirt has seven gores, the seams being concealed by rolling flutes which result from plaits underfolded below the hips....
- Whether it's flute hem, a-lines, or high-waisted pencils, we have the skirt for you.
- On this page look out for the dropped waist bodice, above knee skirt lengths that begin to hesitate and gain illusory length with the addition of flutes and frills.
3A tall, narrow wine glass: a flute of champagne...
- Everything from plastic cups, empty beer bottles, used disposable coffee cups, to wine glasses and champagne flutes can be found at the exhibit.
- The champagne flute is tall and narrow to slow the loss of the CO2 bubbles, to keep it from going ‘flat’ for as long as possible.
- Guests have been asked for eight sherry glasses, eight champagne flutes, eight whisky tumblers, eight brandy goblets and two decanters.
verb
1 [no object] literary Play a flute or pipe.When he reached the river's edge, he came to a sharp halt, but his fingers fluted on, the instrument still tuneful....
- When the corn began to grow the chief put up his altar, sang and fluted, but he did all that alone.
1.1Speak in a melodious way: ‘What do you do?’ she fluted...
- In fluting, childish voices, they spoke of their compassion for the poor and homeless.
- Her voice is particularly attractive: fluted and clear, kinder than the hard-edged Sloane of caricature and, most importantly, never sneering.
- There are no melodramatic trills or fluting crescendos in her everyday speech.
2 [with object] Make flutes or grooves in.He began by adding a light Baroque facade with pilasters and massive fluted columns at the main, upper tier, topped by a balustrade with vases and statues....
- The new space was panelled throughout, and fluted Corinthian columns and pilasters were added.
- A glaze highlights detailing in the ginger-stained doors and fluted columns.
Synonyms
grooved, channelled, furrowed, ribbed, corrugated, ridged
Derivatives
flute-like
- But generally it is accepted that choirboys produce a more flute-like, pure, penetrating voice than girls, who have a slightly more breathy and husky quality.
- The flute-like ney and the rebec-like kemenche make peculiar sounds that instantly evoke Turkey or Persia and which have an eerily human affect in their tone that is remarkable.
- The village band consisted of five men with flute-like objects, one bloke with an enormous bass drum and a small child with a snare drum and a bad sense of rhythm.
Origin
Middle English: from Old French flahute, probably from Provençal flaüt, perhaps a blend of flaujol 'flageolet' + laüt 'lute'.
Rhymes
- postsynaptic
- postsynaptically
- post-sync
- post-synch.
- post-synch
- post-synchronization
- post-synchronize
- post-systolic
- post-tax
- post-tectonic
- post-temporal
- post-tension
- post-term
- post terminum
- post-Tertiary
- post-test
- post-testing
- post-tibial
- post time
- Post Toastie
- Post Toasties
- Post Toasty
- post-tonic
- post town
- post township