xylophone

noun

xy·​lo·​phone ˈzī-lə-ˌfōn How to pronounce xylophone (audio)
 also  ˈzi-
: a percussion instrument consisting of a series of wooden bars graduated in length to produce the musical scale, supported on belts of straw or felt, and sounded by striking with two small wooden hammers
xylophonist
ˈzī-lə-ˌfō-nist How to pronounce xylophone (audio)
 also  ˈzi-
noun

Illustration of xylophone

Illustration of xylophone

Examples of xylophone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lowing strings and luminous horns were punctuated by brisk xylophones. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Janis started out playing the xylophone before moving with his mother, Hattie, and sister in 1936 to New York to study piano with Josef and Rosina Lhévinne and then Adele Marcus. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024 To capture Midler’s exquisite comedic timing along with Winifred Sanderson’s dark side, Debney mixed whimsical instruments like xylophones and marimbas with low woodwinds like bass clarinet and bassoon. Lindsay Kusiak, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Aug. 2023 To that end, there’s a rocking pirate ship, two nonverbal communication boards and a free notes musical area where youngsters can bang the heck out of faux drums and xylophones. Mike Klingaman, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for xylophone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'xylophone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of xylophone was in 1866

Dictionary Entries Near xylophone

Cite this Entry

“Xylophone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/xylophone. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

xylophone

noun
xy·​lo·​phone ˈzī-lə-ˌfōn How to pronounce xylophone (audio)
: a musical instrument consisting of a series of wooden bars varying in length and sounded by striking with two wooden hammers
xylophonist noun
Etymology

from Greek xylo- "wood, of wood" (from xylon "wood") and English -phone "sound, a sound-producing device"

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