Embouchure
/ˌɒ̃buːˈʃʊər/noun
The way a wind player shapes the mouth and uses the lips to produce sound, or the mouthpiece area of such an instrument.
Did you know?Embouchure comes from French *bouche* “mouth,” ultimately from Latin *bucca* “cheek/mouth,” and in musical use it names the exact physical threshold where breath turns into tone.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
bucca
“cheek; mouth”
Old French
Old French
bouche
“mouth”
Middle French
French
embouchure
“an opening for the mouth; a mouthpiece or mouth opening”
18th Century
English
embouchure
“the mouth position used in playing a wind instrument”
Modern English
English
embouchure
“the shaping and use of the lips and mouth in playing a wind instrument”
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