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noun

xylophone

ZEYE-luh-fohn

Xylophone (noun) means a percussion instrument made of wooden bars of different lengths, played by striking them with small mallets. Example: “The music teacher handed each child a mallet and let them try the xylophone.”

noun
1
A percussion instrument made of wooden bars of different lengths, played by striking them with small mallets.
"The music teacher handed each child a mallet and let them try the xylophone."

How to use xylophone

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA tuned wooden percussion instrument that produces different notes depending on which bar you hit.

Easily confused with

Word forms

xylophoned past tense, xylophones plural, xylophones singular

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The music teacher handed each child a mallet and let them try the _____.

Etymology

From Greek xylo-, "wood," and -phone, "sound" — literally "wood sound."

Origin: Greek

Related words

Rhymes for xylophone

See all rhymes for xylophone →

Frequently asked questions

What does “xylophone” mean?

The word “xylophone” means a percussion instrument made of wooden bars of different lengths, played by striking them with small mallets. In plain terms, a tuned wooden percussion instrument that produces different notes depending on which bar you hit.

How do you pronounce “xylophone”?

“Xylophone” is pronounced ZEYE-luh-fohn (/ˈzaɪləˌfoʊn/ in IPA).

How do you use “xylophone” in a sentence?

Here is “xylophone” used in a sentence: “The music teacher handed each child a mallet and let them try the xylophone.”

What part of speech is “xylophone”?

“Xylophone” is a noun.

Where does the word “xylophone” come from?

The word “xylophone” comes from Greek. From Greek xylo-, "wood," and -phone, "sound" — literally "wood sound.".

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