flute

plural flutes

1. entertainmentA 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 group played huge drums placed overhead, along with flutes and a kotolike zither.

   2008 January 15, Jon Pareles, “To See (and Hear) the World in Five Hours: Unique Sounds Ripe for Import”, in The New York Times

   2 more examples

   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, →OCLC, page 217

   After another alternation of the two elements, there is a more playful episode, in which flute and bassoon take up the first element, with swooping glissando on the ondes Martenot.

   2018, Robert Philip, The Classical Music Lover's Companion to Orchestral Music, Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 465

   Synonyms: Western concert flute, edge-blown aerophone

2. colloquialA 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. architectureA 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.
7. An organ stop with a flute-like sound.
8. A shuttle in weaving tapestry etc.

present singular third person flutes · participle present fluting · participle past fluted · past fluted

1. intransitiveTo play on a flute.
2. intransitiveTo make a flutelike sound.

   The green turf was velvet underfoot. The blackbirds fluted in the hazels there.

   1895, S. R. Crockett, A Cry Across the Black Water

3. transitiveTo utter with a flutelike sound.

   “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.

   1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIII, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC

4. transitiveTo form flutes or channels in (as in a column, a ruffle, etc.); to cut a semicylindrical vertical groove in (as in a pillar, etc.).

plural flutes

1. A kind of flyboat; a storeship.