C16: from French saqueboute, from Old French saquer to pull + bouter to push; see butt3: used in the Bible (Daniel 3) as a mistranslation of Aramaic sabb'ka stringed instrument
sackbut in American English
(ˈsækˌbʌt)
noun
1.
a medieval wind instrument, forerunner of the trombone
2. Bible
a stringed instrument resembling a lyre: Dan. 3:5
Word origin
MFr, saquebute, sackbut, earlier, hooked lance for fighting on horseback < OFr saquer, to draw, pull < VL *saccare, to pull (from a sack) < L saccus, sack1 + OFr bouter, to push, butt2; (sense 2) incorrect transl. of Aram sabecha