flutes

Noun

flute (plural flutes)

1. A woodwind instrument consisting of a tube with a row of holes that produce sound through vibrations caused by air blown across the edge of the holes, often tuned by plugging one or more holes with a finger; the Western concert flute, a transverse side-blown flute of European origin.
   • The breathing flute's ſoft notes are heard around, / And the ſhril trumpets mix their ſilver ſound; / The vaulted roofs vvith echoing muſic ring, / Theſe touch the vocal ſtops, and thoſe the trembling ſtring.1709, Alexander Pope, “January and May; or, The Merchant’s Tale, from Chaucer”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintot, […], published 1717...

   Synonyms:

   Western concert flute, edge-blown aerophone

2. (colloquial) A recorder, also a woodwind instrument.
3. A glass with a long, narrow bowl and a long stem, used for drinking wine, especially champagne.
   • These are champagne glasses, says Peggy.
     No, I mean the tall ones, Jamie says.
     You're thinking of flutes, says Peggy. These are coupes.2018, Sally Rooney, “Six Months Later (July 2013)”, in Normal People
4. A lengthwise groove, such as one of the lengthwise grooves on a classical column, or a groove on a cutting tool (such as a drill bit, endmill, or reamer), which helps to form both a cutting edge and a channel through which chips can escape.
5. A semicylindrical vertical groove, as in a pillar, in plaited cloth, or in a rifle barrel to cut down the weight.
6. A long French bread roll, baguette.

See all 13 meanings of flute