woodwind

woodwind
/wood"wind'/, n.
1. a musical wind instrument of the group comprising the flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and occasionally, the saxophones.
2. woodwinds, the section of an orchestra or band comprising the woodwind instruments.
adj.
3. of, relating to, or composed of woodwinds.
[1875-80; WOOD1 + WIND3]

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      any of a group of wind musical instruments (wind instrument), composed of the flutes (flute) and reed pipes (i.e., clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone). Both groups were traditionally made of wood, but now they may also be constructed of metal.

      Woodwinds are distinguished from other wind instruments by the manner in which the sound is produced. Unlike the trumpets or other instruments of the brass family, in which the airstream passes through the player's vibrating lips directly into the air column, the flutes are sounded by directing a narrow stream of air against the edge of a hole in a cylindrical tube. With the reed pipes (e.g., clarinets and saxophones), a thin strip of flexible material, such as cane or metal, is placed against the opening of the mouthpiece, forcing the airstream to pass through the reed before it reaches the column of air that is to vibrate. In double-reed instruments (oboes and bassoons), two thicknesses of reeds are used. The woodwind section of a band or orchestra usually consists of three flutes, one piccolo, three oboes, one English horn, three clarinets, one bass clarinet, three bassoons, and one contrabassoon.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • woodwind — [wood′wind΄] n. 1. [pl.] the woodwind instruments of an orchestra, or the players of these instruments 2. any of such instruments adj. 1. designating a wind instrument made, esp. originally, of wood, as the flute, clarinet, or oboe 2. composed of …   English World dictionary

  • woodwind — 1876, from WOOD (Cf. wood) (n.) + WIND (Cf. wind) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • woodwind — ► NOUN (treated as sing. or pl. ) ▪ wind instruments other than brass instruments forming a section of an orchestra, including flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons …   English terms dictionary

  • woodwind — Synonyms and related words: English horn, German band, Pandean pipe, Philharmonic, aulos, band, basset horn, basset oboe, bassoon, big band, bombard, brass, brass band, brass choir, brass quintet, brass section, brasses, callithumpian band,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • woodwind — wood|wind [ˈwudˌwınd] n [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: Because originally the instruments were all made of wood] 1.) [U] musical instruments made of wood or metal that you play by blowing and that usually have finger holes or ↑keys →↑brass, percussion …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • woodwind — 1. noun Any (mostly wooden) musical instrument which produce sound by the player blowing into them, through a reed, or across an opening. Woodwind instruments include the recorder, flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, cor anglais and bassoon …   Wiktionary

  • Woodwind — This unusual surname is of Northern Anglo Saxon 8th century origins and is found recorded in the forms of Woodvine, Woodfine, Woodwin, Woodwind, and the amazing Woodwing (see below). Its origins are residential, a complication being the random… …   Surnames reference

  • woodwind — wood|wind [ wud,wınd ] noun count or uncount musical instruments mainly made of wood that you play by blowing into them. Woodwind instruments include the flute, clarinet, and bassoon. a. only before noun belonging to this type of instrument or… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • woodwind — also the woodwind noun (C, U) the group of musical instruments that you play by blowing and pressing keys key 2 (3) woodwind adjective …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • woodwind — UK [ˈwʊdˌwɪnd] / US noun [uncountable] music a) musical instruments mainly made of wood that you play by blowing into them. Woodwind instruments include the flute, clarinet, and bassoon. b) [only before noun] belonging to this type of instrument …   English dictionary

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