Meaning & use
flautist
Last updated
UK/ˈflɔːtɪst/
US/ˈflɔːtɪst/
Meaning
nouncountablemusic
A musician who plays the flute.
Grammar: Used for either gender: she is a flautist.
Patterns
- a flautist in something
The flautist opened the concert with a gentle solo.
She trained as a flautist at music college.
A young flautist joined the orchestra last season.
Word forms
| plural | flautists |
|---|
Common combinations
- principal flautist
- The principal flautist sits near the conductor.
- professional flautist
- His dream is to become a professional flautist.
- gifted flautist
- The gifted flautist won the national prize.
- orchestra flautist
- An orchestra flautist must read music fluently.
- jazz flautist
- The jazz flautist improvised for ten minutes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- flutist
- Flutist is the usual American word for the same player, and flautist is more common in British English.
- flute player
- Flute player is plainer and fits any level, while flautist sounds more professional.
- piper
- Piper suggests an older or folk instrument like the bagpipes or pipe, not the modern flute.
- instrumentalist
- Instrumentalist is a broad word for anyone who plays any instrument.
Word family
Commonly confused: flautist or flutist? flautist or florist?
flautist vs flutist
Flutist means the same thing and is the common American form.
flautist vs florist
A florist sells flowers, and the word only looks similar.
Practice
In British English, a person who plays the flute professionally is often called a ____.
Choose one answer.
Flautist is the British word for a flute player. Florist sounds similar but means someone who sells flowers.
Make it your own
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