Late 18th century; earliest use found in Charles Burney (1726–1814), musician and author. In some forms from Dutch roerfluit. In some forms from German Rohrflöte (1742 or earlier in form †Rohrflöten (intended as singular noun), denoting the organ stop; now more usually in sense ‘reed pipe, reed flute’; from Rohr tube + Flöte). In some forms with substitution of flute for German Flöte.