cornet
cornet Lexical Profile
cornet Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A brass musical instrument similar to a trumpet but featuring a more compact shape and a mellower, warmer tone.
"She played a beautifully melancholic solo on the cornet during the jazz band's performance."
British A cone-shaped wafer used as a receptacle for holding ice cream.
"The children bought vanilla ice cream cornets from the van parked near the beach."
British A historical rank of a cavalry officer in the British Army who traditionally carried the regimental colors.
"He was commissioned as a cornet in the dragoon guards shortly before the battle."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British English, 'cornet' commonly refers to an ice cream cone, whereas in American English, it almost exclusively refers to the brass musical instrument.
• Rhymes for cornet
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Late Middle English: from Old French 'cornet', a diminutive of 'corne' (horn), ultimately deriving from the Latin 'cornu'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.