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saxist

saxist

7.9
A person who plays the saxophone
  • noun
  • /ˈsæksɪst/
translation icon : saxofonista
  • The saxist played a soulful melody that captivated the audience.

Examples

  • She aspires to become a renowned saxist, performing at jazz festivals around the world.

  • Ask any significant contemporary saxist—from Joshua Redman to Joe Lovano to Branford Marsalis—about influences:

    Academic text (2007)
  • During the concert, the talented saxist showcased his skills with an impressive solo.

Synonyms

saxophonist
vssaxist
12 4.4

A person who plays the saxophone, often as a professional musician

is neutral about professional status and does not imply paid work

Surface Forms

saxist singular
saxists plural

Morphology

saxist = sax (transparent) = sax + ist

Clear agentive formation from the informal noun 'sax' (short for 'saxophone') plus the productive agentive suffix '-ist', yielding 'one who plays the saxophone'.

Etymology

Saxist comes from Adolphe Sax, the man who made the saxophone, plus the ending -ist meaning 'someone who does something'. The instrument name saxophone even means 'Sax's sound', with the -phone part like in telephone meaning 'sound', so a saxist is simply 'a person who plays the saxophone'.