flute

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See also flûte

Contents

English [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Old French flaute, from Provençal flaut, ultimately from three possibilities:

  • Blend of Provencal flaujol (flageolet) + laut (lute)
  • From Latin flare (to blow)
  • Imitative.

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

flute (woodwind instrument)

flute (plural flutes)

  1. (music) A woodwind instrument consisting of a metal, wood or bamboo tube with a row of circular holes and played by blowing across a hole in the side of one end or through a narrow channel at one end against a sharp edge, while covering none, some or all of the holes with the fingers to vary the note played.
  2. A glass with a long, narrow bowl and a long stem, used for drinking wine, especially champagne.
  3. A helical groove going up a drill bit which allows the drilled out material to come up out of the hole as it's drilled.
  4. (architecture, firearms) A semicylindrical vertical groove in a pillar, or a similar groove in a rifle barrel used to cut down the weight.

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See also [edit]

Verb [edit]

fluted pillars

flute (third-person singular simple present flutes, present participle fluting, simple past and past participle fluted)

  1. (intransitive) To play on a flute.
  2. (intransitive) To make a flutelike sound.
  3. (transitive) To utter with a flutelike sound.
    • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter XIII:
      “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.
  4. (transitive) 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.).

Related terms [edit]

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French [edit]

Noun [edit]

flute f (plural flutes)

  1. Alternative spelling of flûte.