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brass instrument
noun
: any of a group of wind instruments (such as a French horn, trombone, trumpet, or tuba) that is usually characterized by a long cylindrical or conical metal tube commonly curved two or more times and ending in a flared bell, that produces tones by the vibrations of the player's lips against a usually cup-shaped mouthpiece, and that usually has valves or a slide by which the player may produce all the tones within the instrument's range
Examples of brass instrument in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bowers cites the tale of Paty — a brass instrument technician who, before getting hired at the shop, struggled to survive — as especially affecting, having become a father himself since beginning work on the film.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2024
Sack-butt — When spelled with one T (sackbut), the word refers to an early Renaissance brass instrument similar to a trombone.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2023
Edward Ross Goldstein, a tuba player who became an authority on the brass instrument and performed at thousands of events, died of glioblastoma Friday at Gilchrist Hospice Towson.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2023
Only the Strong Survive is a product of backyard-studio sessions during lockdown, with longtime producer Ron Aniello playing every non-brass instrument.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2022
The only other objects in the room are four long microphones pointed at the sculpture, which produce sonic feedback from the brass instrument, soft, sustained and sublime.
—New York Times, 17 Mar. 2022
The predominant brass instrument is conical, such as a French horn, as opposed to the cylindrical bore of a trombone.
—Chris Varias, The Enquirer, 5 Feb. 2022
Allan Jaffe, who played the helicon, a brass instrument, was the link to the musicians and sent them out on the road as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
—New York Times, 31 Dec. 2021
Nicknamed the Mitchel Telescope after the Observatory’s founder, this 16-foot-long, mahogany and brass instrument is a true work of art and science.
—Dean Regas, The Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brass instrument.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1837, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near brass instrument
Cite this Entry
“Brass instrument.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brass%20instrument. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
brass instrument
noun
: any of a group of musical instruments made of curved tubes of brass in various shapes that includes trumpets, trombones, tubas, and French horns compare percussion instrument, stringed instrument, woodwind sense 1
More from Merriam-Webster on brass instrument
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about brass instrument
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