wood-wind

Definition

1. Noun (mass noun) :
   • Musical instrument category: "wood-wind" refers to a family of musical instruments that are typically made of wood (though some are metal) and are played by blowing air into or across a mouthpiece. Common examples include flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.

Usage Examples

• (The group of instruments like flutes and clarinets.)
• (A specific type of wind instrument.)

Advanced Usage

• "wood-wind instrument": a specific instrument belonging to this family.

  • The oboe is a double-reed wood-wind instrument. (It uses two reeds to produce sound.)

• "wood-wind section": the group of wood-wind players in an orchestra or band.

  • The conductor asked the wood-wind section to play more softly. (The flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.)

Variants and Related Words

• Woodwind (noun, adjective): the same meaning; often written as a single word.
  • The woodwind player tuned her clarinet before the concert. (A musician specializing in wood-wind instruments.)
• Woodwinds (plural noun): the collective term for all wood-wind instruments.
  • The woodwinds were out of tune during the rehearsal. (The group of instruments.)

Synonyms

• Wind instruments: a broader category that includes both wood-wind and brass instruments.
• Reed instruments: a subset of wood-wind instruments that use a reed (e.g., clarinet, oboe).

Related Idioms

• "Blow one's own trumpet": to boast (unrelated to wood-wind specifically, but using a wind instrument metaphor).
• No direct idioms exist for "wood-wind" itself.