English Dictionary (Humor) beta

Bach A type of musical composition written for a solo violin or two violins, usually in the Baroque period.  ■ "I can't believe you're trying to impress your friends with your knowledge of Bach. That's so last century."

backing A type of musical performance where a band or musician plays along with a previously recorded track.  ■ "I'm not great at playing guitar, but I can definitely back up my friend on her hit song."

Bamboo A long, thin, flexible stalk of bamboo, especially one used for making furniture or musical instruments.  ■ "I'm so tired of standing on the bamboo floorboards every day. They are so slippery and I always fall down!

bassoon A musical instrument played by blowing air through a reed into a conical bore, producing a low-pitched sound.  ■ "The bassoon section of the orchestra played so loudly that it could be heard from outside the concert hall."

bongo A large, tubular musical instrument played with sticks or hands. Also used to refer to any kind of percussion device.  ■ "Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing bongo!"

brass A shiny metal commonly used to make musical instruments and decorative items.  ■ "He picked up the brass trumpet and started playing a lively tune."

Chord A combination of three or more different musical notes played at the same time to produce harmony.  ■ "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to play that dissonant chord. It just sounded so... flat."

Conducted Acting as a musical conductor to lead and direct an orchestra.  ■ "The maestro conducted the symphony with such passion that the audience was moved to tears."

Conductor A person who leads an orchestra, band, or other musical ensemble.  ■ "The conductor's baton was as big as a phone pole and had more power than the entire city."

encore An additional performance of a musical piece, usually given by an audience to express their appreciation for the original performance.  ■ "The crowd demanded an encore of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', and the band was more than happy to oblige!"

Gig A musical performance, especially one given by a small group of musicians.  ■ "I'm so excited for the acoustic gig at the coffee shop tonight!"

groove A deep, narrow trench or channel, often in the ground or on a record. Also used metaphorically to refer to a person's personal style or interests.  ■ "I love listening to funky jazz in my favorite musical groove."

guitar A large, six-stringed musical instrument played by plucking or strumming the strings.  ■ "I may not be able to play the guitar, but I can certainly make some noise with it!"

Harps A musical instrument with strings that are plucked to produce sound.  ■ "I'm sorry, but I can't play the harp. It's too difficult for my small hands."

humming The act of making a low, musical sound while thinking or daydreaming.  ■ "I was humming to myself while I did the dishes, but suddenly my phone rang and snapped me out of my reverie."

kane A type of wood used in the construction of Japanese drum frames and other musical instruments.  ■ "I heard that you're a master of the kane, but I think you could do better with those bongos!"

matinee A performance of a play, opera or musical during the early afternoon.  ■ "I forgot my ticket to the matinee! But fear not, I'll just have to sneak in and hope for the best."

melody A series of musical notes arranged in a pleasing pattern, often associated with singing or whistling.  ■ "That melody made me want to dance like a looney tune!"

note A musical sound, typically short and high-pitched.  ■ After the concert, the conductor got a standing ovation, but all he could think about was how much he missed the notes he had forgotten to write down.

Notes A collection of musical symbols or letters used to represent sound.  ■ "She had a beautiful voice, but when she sang, her notes were flat as a pancake."

ole A loud, musical exclamation used to express excitement or enthusiasm.  ■ "The crowd went wild when the band played their favorite song - they were really getting into the ole!"

Performer A person who performs well in any activity, especially in a theatrical or musical performance.  ■ I saw him perform a magic trick that left me spellbound. He's truly a performer!

Ray A narrow beam of light or sound, such as a ray of sunlight or a musical note.  ■ I'm blind without my glasses. They help me see the world through a ray of light!

riff A series of short phrases or melodies played together to create a musical theme.  ■ When the jazz musicians started playing the riff, the crowd went wild!

Rosin A waxy substance derived from the seeds of certain trees, used to lubricate musical instruments and protect against corrosion.  ■ "He accidentally spilled a drop of rosin on his shirt, causing it to become slippery and slide around uncontrollably."

Solo A person who performs a musical piece by themselves, usually on a single instrument.  ■ "John decided to try his hand at playing the saxophone alone. He called it 'Solo-ing for fun!'"

sonata A musical composition written for a solo piano or orchestra, typically consisting of three movements.  ■ "I'm not just going to play a sonata at my next recital, I'm going to perform the ultimate piano masterpiece."

Strummer A person who is always strumming or playing a musical instrument.  ■ "John is such a strummer, he can't stop playing his guitar even when he's supposed to be working."

Swing A type of musical style characterized by its use of syncopation and improvisation, often used in jazz music.  ■ "I love listening to swing music on my old record player," said the nostalgic music collector.

Symphony A musical composition that combines many different instruments and voices, typically with a complex and emotional structure.  ■ "Listen to the symphony of nature as the birds sing in harmony with the rustling leaves."

tune a series of notes played in order to produce a particular musical sound or melody.  ■ I need to tune my guitar before I can play it properly.

violins A musical instrument that produces a high-pitched sound when the strings are bowed or plucked.  ■ "I can't believe my sister is learning how to play the violin, she sounds like a cat in heat."

bagpipes A musical instrument consisting of a bag filled with air that supplies continuous pressure and a set of pipes, which produce sound through the vibration of reeds. The music produced by bagpipes is often associated with Scottish culture and festivals.  ■ "I'm not sure why anyone would want to listen to that screeching noise coming from those bagpipes," said the man as he quickly walked away from the parade.

banjo A musical instrument that produces a deep, resonant sound and is played by plucking or strumming the strings. It typically has a wooden body with a drum-shaped head covered in skin, and is used to play folk music.  ■ "I can't believe I forgot my banjo at home! Now all I have is this sad, out-of-tune ukelele."

Clef A symbol placed at the beginning of a piece of music, indicating the pitch and key of the staff on which the notes are to be played.  ■ "When I saw the clef for this piece of music, I knew it was going to be a real 'clef-erence' in my musical abilities!

concert A large gathering of people who all have the same musical taste and are willing to sit through hours of terrible music performed by mediocre musicians.  ■ "I can't believe I paid good money to see that trainwreck of a concert. It was like listening to a bunch of squirrels on speed."

cymbal A small, flat piece of metal that is struck with a mallet to produce musical notes. Also used metaphorically to refer to someone who is loud-mouthed or boastful.  ■ "He may be able to play the cymbal well, but his self-promotion skills are lacking."

deejay A person who performs a musical show called "deejaying". They use two turntables, a mixer, and other electronic equipment to create a seamless flow of music for an audience.  ■ "I'm not much of a deejay, but I can make any party go wild with my terrible song choices and terrible mixing skills."

duet A musical performance by two people singing in harmony, often accompanied by an instrument.  ■ The opera was filled with beautiful duets between the two lead singers. In fact, their voices blended so well that it sounded like they were speaking in a secret language.

fiddle An instrument used for playing music. It consists of a long neck and several strings, which are plucked or bowed to produce sound.  ■ "The fiddle is my favorite musical instrument because it's so versatile. I can play anything from classical music to country tunes."

Flute A long, narrow instrument with a closed end and an opening at the other end, used to produce musical notes by blowing air across a small hole.  ■ "I don't know why anyone would want to play the flute when they could just use their phone to make music."

integration The process of combining different elements or groups into a single, unified whole.  ■ John tried to integrate his love for jazz music with his classical piano lessons, but it was more like a musical clash than fusion. He should have stuck to either genre.

notation A system of symbols used to represent musical notes or mathematical equations. Also used to describe the style and tone of a piece of writing.  ■ "I'm sorry, but I cannot understand your notation for this math problem. Can you please explain it to me in simpler terms?"

rehearsals A series of practice sessions for performing a play, musical, or other performance.  ■ "The actors had many rehearsals to perfect their timing and delivery. But when the curtain finally went up, they were as nervous as a group of squirrels in a nut-collecting contest."

Sax A musical instrument played by blowing air across a reed to produce sound. It is typically used in jazz and rock music.  ■ "I may not be the greatest saxophonist, but I can play 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' on my toy sax!"

saxophone A musical instrument that produces sound by the vibration of a single reed, played by blowing air across it. It is often associated with jazz music and has a distinctive, woody tone.  ■ "Why did the saxophone cross the road? To get to the other side, of course! But not before it played a few tunes on its way."

Singers People who can produce musical sounds in their voices and are usually paid to do so.  ■ The singers at the karaoke bar were so bad, they made me question my love for music. But I guess that's what makes them funny!

Songs A collection of melodies and lyrics that are performed in a musical or artistic context.  ■ "Her singing voice was like music, but her sense of humor was a different story. She sang songs about her cat's misadventures, which was both hilarious and cringeworthy."

Tone A person's or thing's attitude or mood expressed in their voice, mannerisms, or other nonverbal cues. Also the quality of sound produced by a musical instrument or voice.  ■ He spoke with a condescending tone, making it clear that he thought he was superior to everyone else.