Trumpet
/ˈtrʌm.pɪt/noun
A brass musical instrument with a bright, piercing tone, or a sound resembling one.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes through Old French from a Germanic source, and the instrument’s name was tied to the idea of a loud, penetrating blast long before modern orchestras made it heroic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*trump-
“to make a loud, booming sound”
Old French
OF
trompette
“a small trumpet or horn”
Middle English
ME
trumpet
“a trumpet; a horn used for signaling”
Modern English
English
trumpet
“a brass musical instrument with a bright, piercing tone”
Explore more surprising origins