I. ˈflüt noun
Etymology: Middle English floute, from Anglo-French floute, fleute, from Old French flaüte, probably of imitative origin
Date: 14th century
1.
a. : recorder 3
b. : a keyed woodwind instrument consisting of a cylindrical tube which is stopped at one end and which has a side hole over which air is blown to produce the tone and having a range from middle C upward for three octaves
2. : something long and slender: as
a. : a tall slender wineglass
b. : a grooved pleat (as on a hat brim)
3. : a rounded groove ; specifically : one of the vertical parallel grooves on a classical architectural column
• flute·like -ˌlīk adjective
• fluty or flut·ey ˈflü-tē adjective
[
flute 1b
]
II. verb
( flut·ed ; flut·ing )
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1. : to play a flute
2. : to produce a flutelike sound
transitive verb
1. : to utter with a flutelike sound
2. : to form flutes in
• flut·er noun