cornet1
/ˈkɔːnɪt
/noun
1 Music A brass instrument resembling a trumpet but shorter and wider.Over the years, McPhee has become adept on alto and soprano saxes, value trombone, flugelhorn, pocket trumpet, cornet, and various clarinets....
- The cornet became the leading instrument of British and American brass bands.
- Around five years ago Mr Winterflood, who teaches eight instruments ranging from the cornet to the tuba, decided that he wanted to do something to help needy children.
1.1A compound organ stop with a powerful treble sound.
2British A cone-shaped wafer filled with ice cream.There are practical problems: for example, some ice cream cornets may be inappropriately rejected if their chocolate-containing tips overlap in the packaging....
- My daily treat was a giant cornet of delicious vanilla ice cream.
- Stop me and have a look - there are no cornets or ice lollies, but there is plenty of local history on offer in Yorkshire's most unusual museum.
Derivatives
cornetist
- Among the fantastic line-up of musicians are cornettist Jon-Erik Kellso, clarinettist Dan Levinson, trombonist Dan Barrett and pianists Mark Shane and Dick Hyman whose solo spin on ‘Clementine’ is one of many highlights.
- His later instrumental music explores new formal patterns as well as exploiting the virtuosity of cornettists and violinists.
- The Chicago Underground is made up of core duo cornettist Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor which augments with guest players to become Trios, Quartets, even an Orchestra.
Origin
Late Middle English (originally denoting a wind instrument made of a horn): from Old French, diminutive of a variant of Latin cornu 'horn'.
Rhymes
cornet2
/ˈkɔːnɪt/noun chiefly historical
The fifth grade of commissioned officer in a cavalry troop, who carried the colours. It is still used in some British cavalry regiments for officers of the rank of second lieutenant.
Derivatives
cornetcy
- His obliging mother bought him a cornetcy in the Devonshire yeomanry.
- When aged 22, he purchased a cornetcy in Sir Richard Echlin's dragoons, known as the Inniskilling Dragoons.
- The Ingoldsby in whose regiment he accepted a cornetcy in 1667 was his uncle by marriage.
Origin
Mid 16th century: from French cornette, diminutive of corne (originally a collective term), based on Latin cornua 'horns'. The word originally denoted a kind of woman's headdress, or a strip of lace hanging down from a headdress against the cheeks; later it referred to the pennon of a cavalry troop, hence the officer who carried the colours.