Meaning & use
xylophone
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Meaning
nouncountable
A musical instrument made of wooden bars of different lengths that you hit with small hammers to produce notes.
Grammar: Countable; you play the xylophone, not 'play on xylophone' in standard usage.
Patterns
- play the xylophone
- a xylophone solo
She learned to play the xylophone in the school band.
The xylophone's bright, sharp sound stood out in the orchestra.
He tapped the xylophone gently with two mallets.
Word forms
| plural | xylophones |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the xylophone
- My brother can play the xylophone and the drums.
- xylophone bars
- The xylophone bars are arranged from longest to shortest.
- xylophone solo
- The piece includes a short xylophone solo in the middle.
- mallet for a xylophone
- Use a soft mallet for a xylophone to avoid a harsh sound.
Synonyms and how they differ
- marimba
- A marimba is similar but has a lower range and resonating tubes under the bars; xylophone is the broader term for the wooden-bar instrument.
- glockenspiel
- A glockenspiel looks similar but has metal bars and a higher, bell-like sound; a xylophone has wooden bars.
Word family
- xylophonist noun
- A person who plays the xylophone.
Commonly confused: xylophone or xylophage?
xylophone vs xylophage
Xylophage means a wood-eating organism; xylophone is the musical instrument. They share the Greek root xylo- ('wood') but have completely different meanings.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
We normally say 'play the xylophone' when talking about playing an instrument in general. 'Play on the xylophone' is not standard, and 'play xylophone' without 'the' is less natural in this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “xylophone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.