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Glite Dictionary
sackbut

sackbut

1 9.9
An old brass instrument like a trombone used in early European music
  • noun
  • /ˈsækˌbʌt/
  • Archaic
: sacabuche
  • The sackbut was a popular instrument in orchestras during the Renaissance period.

Examples

  • The house is in apple-pie order, though we do have to get medical attention for Mr Pancake, who, durin' the disturbance, pinched his finger in the valve of his sackbut.

    The Ladykillers (2004)

  • Ain't nobody play the sackbut like Lump right there.

    The Ladykillers (2004)

  • He plays one bitch barrel full of a sackbut!

    The Ladykillers (2004)

  • Oh, these earthen walls are ideal for baffling the higher registers of the, uh... lute or sackbut.

    The Ladykillers (2004)

  • When the metaphor takes win, it is with a rush of sound such as one hears only when phantom locomotives play sackbut, lyre, and symbol.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The musician skillfully played the sackbut during the Baroque concert, captivating the audience.

  • In music history classes, students often study the sackbut as an important brass instrument from medieval times.

Surface Forms

sackbut singular
sackbuts plural

Etymology

The word sackbut comes from Old French parts sacquer ('to pull') and bouter ('to push'). So the name simply describes the instrument's sliding motion — you push and pull the slide — which is why a sackbut is like an early trombone.