trombone

Everyday

A trombone is a large brass musical instrument that you play by blowing into it and moving a long sliding tube in and out to change the notes. tree →

In the lessons

In music lessons it belongs to the brass family with the trumpet, horn and tuba; it plays low notes. In bands and orchestras the trombone player is a trombonist. The «sad trombone» sound (wah-wah-wah-waaah) is used in cartoons for a failure.

Examples

• Leo plays the trombone in the school band. tree →
• The trombone's slide moves in and out to change the note. tree →
• Trombones belong to the brass family. tree →
• The jazz band had two trumpets and a trombone. tree →
• A sad trombone sound played when the cartoon cat fell over. tree →
• Ella practises the trombone every evening. tree →
• The trombone is longer than the trumpet and plays lower. tree →
• At the noise, a large Crab crawled slowly out of the water and, with a voice that sounded like a trombone suffering from a cold, he cried out: tree →

Note

Countable: «a trombone». Player: «trombonist». It uses a slide, not valves like a trumpet. Comes from Italian «tromba» (trumpet) + «-one» (big), so it means «big trumpet».