Sackbut

Definition of sackbut:

part of speech: noun

An ancient wind instrument.

part of speech: noun

The name of the trombone when first brought to England: ( B.) a kind of lyre or stringed instrument.

Usage examples for sackbut:

• Sackbut lives in a cave underground. "The Blue Rose Fairy Book", Maurice Baring.

• Laughing, joking, ogling like some fickle jade, the crowd passed from booth to booth: now dropping a few coins in Peter the juggler's hat, now watching the antics of John the tumbler; anon looking on amazed, half terrified at the evolutions of a gigantic brown bear, led by the nose by a vigorous knave in leather jerkin and cross- gartered hose, and accompanied by a youngster who was blowing on a mighty sackbut until his cheeks looked nigh to bursting. "The Tangled Skein", Emmuska Orczy, Baroness Orczy.

• Now Mr. Fearing was one that played upon this bass; he and his fellows sound the sackbut whose notes are more doleful than the notes of other music are; though, indeed, some say the bass is the ground of music. "The Works of John Bunyan Volume 3", John Bunyan.

• In matter of musical instruments, he learned to play the lute, the spinet, the harp, the German flute, the flute with nine holes, the violin, and the sackbut "The Best of the World's Classics, Restricted to Prose, Vol. VII (of X)--Continental Europe I", Various.