Mouthpiece

How to spell mouthpiece

10 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce mouthpiece

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does mouthpiece mean?

1. nounThe part of a device, instrument, or protective guard that is placed against or inside the mouth.
2. nounA person or publication that speaks or expresses the views of another, especially an organisation or group.

Mouthpiece in a sentence

• The trumpet player cleaned the mouthpiece before the rehearsal.

• The newsletter became the official mouthpiece of the trade union.

• The boxer slipped a protective mouthpiece over his teeth before the round.

• Critics dismissed the broadcaster as a mouthpiece for the government.

Where does mouthpiece come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English compound built from two very old words. 'Mouth' descends from Old English 'muth', which traces back to a common Germanic root shared with Dutch 'mond' and German 'Mund', all naming the opening through which we speak and eat. 'Piece' arrived later, borrowed through Old French 'piece' from a Late Latin word 'pettia' that meant a portion or fragment and is thought to have Celtic roots. The two were joined in the 1600s to name the part of an object held to or against the mouth, such as the end of a pipe or wind instrument. From there the meaning broadened to cover a person who speaks on behalf of others, the human 'piece' that does the talking. The spelling trap lives entirely in the second half: 'piece' keeps the 'ie' order that so often gets flipped, so remembering 'a piece of pie' keeps it straight.

How the word is built

• mouth (the opening in the face used for speaking and eating)
• piece (a part or portion); a transparent compound noun