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Glite Dictionary
vertical flute

vertical flute

7.5
A tube wind instrument held vertically with finger holes that you blow into through a whistle mouthpiece
  • noun
  • /ˈvɜrtɪkəl fluːt/
translation icon : flauta vertical
  • Children often learn to play the vertical flute before transitioning to other woodwind instruments.

Examples

  • She prefers the sound of the vertical flute to that of the transverse flute.

  • The musician played a haunting melody on his vertical flute during the performance.

  • The vertical flute produces a soft and melodic sound.

  • Have you ever played a vertical flute?

  • The musician played a beautiful melody on her vertical flute during the concert.

  • He learned how to create different tones with the vertical flute in music class.

  • At the festival, people were amazed by the sound produced by the vertical flute.

Synonyms

flute
vsvertical flute
75 1.5

A musical instrument you blow into to make high clear sounds

is held vertically and blown into a fipple mouthpiece rather than across an opening
recorder
vsvertical flute
7 3.2

A small woodwind instrument you play by blowing into one end and covering holes

is the general vertical tubular instrument sharing those features
fipple flute
vsvertical flute
  • Specialized
9.9

A simple wind instrument like a recorder that you blow into

is held vertically and specifies that vertical form with a fipple mouthpiece
fipple pipe
vsvertical flute
  • Specialized
9.9

A small wind instrument like a recorder with a mouthpiece you blow into

is the vertically held instrument, not just any example of this group

Surface Forms

vertical flute singular
vertical flutes plural

Morphology

vertical + flute

This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'vertical' specifies the orientation of a 'flute', so the overall meaning is simply a flute that is held or oriented vertically. The relation is literal and follows standard cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Vertical flute comes from the simple picture of a flute you hold vertically, pointing up and down, and blow into at the top. That's why the name now means 'a tube instrument you blow into, with holes and a mouthpiece', like the recorder many children learn.