Trumpet

How to spell trumpet

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce trumpet

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does trumpet mean?

1. nounA brass musical instrument with a bright, penetrating tone, played by buzzing the lips into a cupped mouthpiece.
2. verbTo proclaim or announce something loudly and triumphantly.

Trumpet in a sentence

• noun

  She practised the trumpet for an hour before the concert.

• verb

  The company likes to trumpet its record profits in every press release.

• noun

  A single trumpet played the opening fanfare at the ceremony.

• verb

  Critics trumpet the film as the best of the year.

Where does trumpet come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes from the Old French trompette, a diminutive form meaning 'little trumpet', which was built on trompe, the word for a horn or war horn. The trompe itself is of uncertain origin but is widely thought to be imitative, echoing the blaring sound the instrument makes. English borrowed the word in the 1300s, at first for the simple straight horn used to sound signals in battle and ceremony. The diminutive ending is the reason the spelling closes with -et rather than the doubled -ett you might expect, and that single t is the main thing to remember. The verb sense, meaning to proclaim something loudly and triumphantly, grew naturally from the idea of announcing news with a blast of the horn.

How the word is built

• trump- (from Old French trompe: a horn)
• -et (diminutive suffix: little horn)