EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FLUTE
Her lover played upon his flute, while she leaned against a tree and listened.
As soon as he was gone, I sent for Joe Kelly to play on the flute to me.
You must give us some music, my good Belinda, and make him accompany you with his flute.
The ancient was sitting in the shade of the mulberry trees blowing the flute.
It had eight stops, one imitating the lute and one the flute.
For Socrates produces the same effect with the voice which Marsyas did with the flute.
Why, when the flute is talking, we are as silent as the grave.
He did not like to be disturbed at the hour when he was playing the flute.
I have enough Will for two, and she would be the flute in the hands of the artist.
And any time you're lonely, come up, and I'll play the flute to you.
WORD ORIGIN
early 14c., from Old French flaute (12c.), from Old Provençal flaut, of uncertain origin, perhaps imitative or from Latin flare "to blow;" perhaps influenced by Provençal laut "lute." The other Germanic words (cf. German flöte) are likewise borrowings from French.
Ancient flutes were blown through a mouthpiece, like a recorder; the modern transverse or German flute developed 18c. The older style then sometimes were called flûte-a-bec (French, literally "flute with a beak"). The modern design and key system of the concert flute were perfected 1834 by Theobald Boehm. The architectural sense of "furrow in a pillar" (1650s) is from fancied resemblance to the inside of a flute split down the middle. Meaning "tall, slender wine glass" is from 1640s.