trumpet
A metal musical instrument that you blow into, with buttons for changing notes, used in bands and orchestras.
A brass wind instrument with a bright, piercing tone, usually played by blowing into a mouthpiece and pressing valves.
To talk very loudly and proudly about something, so that many people know about it.
To publicly and forcefully advertise, praise, or announce something, often in an exaggerated or self-satisfied way.
If an elephant trumpets, it makes a very loud, high sound with its trunk.
Of an elephant or similar animal: to make a loud, high sound similar to a trumpet.
A loud, high sound like the sound from a trumpet or an elephant.
A loud, piercing sound made by a trumpet or by an elephant when it trumpets.
- Base: trumpet
- Plural: trumpets
- Base: trumpet
- 3rd Person Singular: trumpets
- Present Participle: trumpeting
- Past: trumpeted
a blare of trumpets
1a very loud trumpet sound
A very loud, strong sound made by trumpets playing together.
- A blare of trumpets announced the start of the ceremony.
- With a blare of trumpets, the band marched onto the field.
- The song opened with a sudden blare of trumpets.
a fanfare of trumpets
1short loud trumpet music
A short piece of loud music played on trumpets to celebrate or announce something important.
- A fanfare of trumpets greeted the winners as they walked on stage.
- The ceremony began with a fanfare of trumpets and drums.
- There was a fanfare of trumpets as the doors opened.
blow someone else's trumpet
1to praise someone else highly
To speak very highly about what another person has done well.
- If she won’t say it herself, I’ll blow her trumpet for her.
- He spent the whole interview blowing his colleague’s trumpet.
- The coach happily blew his players’ trumpet after the win.
blow your own trumpet
1to proudly praise yourself
To talk a lot about how good you are or about what you have done well.
- I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but I think the presentation went very well.
- She’s always blowing her own trumpet about how well her team is doing.
- He tries not to blow his own trumpet, even when he does something impressive.
sound the trumpets
1tell trumpets to start playing
To give an order or signal for trumpets to start playing, often to mark a special moment.
- The general raised his hand and shouted, "Sound the trumpets!"
- As the king entered, they sounded the trumpets.
- At midnight they sounded the trumpets to welcome the new year.
trumpet call
1signal tune played on trumpet
A short tune played on a trumpet to give a signal, for example in the army.
- The morning trumpet call woke the soldiers at dawn.
- We heard a clear trumpet call from the camp across the valley.
- At sunset, a single trumpet call echoed over the base.