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chalumeau

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“

'Nay, if you cannot relish la houlette et le chalumeau, have with you in heroic strains.'

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Definitions (2)

American Heritage Dictionary

Century Dictionary (2)

An obsolete musical instrument, probably of the clarinet class. See shawm.
The lowest portion or register of the scale of the clarinet and of the basset-horn.

GNU Webster's 1913

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Examples (16)

'Nay, if you cannot relish la houlette et le chalumeau, have with you in heroic strains.' — Waverley — Volume 1
Quand danserai-je au son du chalumeau? — Translations of German Poetry in American Magazines 1741-1810
[Illustration: 0: F4 1: G4 2: A4 3: B4 4: C5 5: D5 6: E5 7: F5 8: G5.] the eight holes of the grand chalumeau. — Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy"
[Illustration: G5# A5 A5# B5 C6 D6.] the six keys of the petit chalumeau. — Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy"
This name of clarinet, or clarionet, became accepted for the entire instrument, including the chalumeau register. — Scientific American Supplement No. 819, September 12, 1891

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Etymologies (1)

Century Dictionary (1)

French chalumeau, from Old French chalemel = Provencal calamel, caramel, calmeilh = Spanish caramillo (also French dial. *calumet, later English calumet, q. v.), from Middle Latin calamellus; also in feminine form, Old French chalemelle (later Portuguese charamela = Italian cennamella), from Middle Latin calamella, also calamaula (also Old French chalemie, later Middle High German schalemie, German schalmei = Danish skalmeje = Middle English shalmie, later shalme, shaume, modern English shawm (Middle Latin reflex scalmeia), from Latin as if *calamia), a pipe, flute, flageolet, from Late Latin calamellus, a little pipe or reed, diminutive of Latin calamus, a pipe, a reed: see calamus, and cf. shawm.

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