Sackbut

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Sackbut \Sack"but\, n. [F. saquebute, OF. saqueboute a sackbut,
     earlier, a sort of hook attached to the end of a lance used
     by foot soldiers to unhorse cavalrymen; prop. meaning, pull
     and push; fr. saquier, sachier, to pull, draw (perhaps
     originally, to put into a bag or take out from a bag; see
     {Sack} a bag) + bouter to push (see {Butt} to thrust). The


     name was given to the musical instrument from its being
     lengthened and shortened.] (Mus.)
     A brass wind instrument, like a bass trumpet, so contrived
     that it can be lengthened or shortened according to the tone
     required; -- said to be the same as the trombone. [Written
     also {sagbut}.] --Moore (Encyc. of Music).
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The sackbut of the Scriptures is supposed to have been
           a stringed instrument.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  sackbut
       n : a medieval musical instrument resembling a trombone

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Sackbut
     (Chald. sabkha; Gr. sambuke), a Syrian stringed instrument
     resembling a harp (Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15); not the modern sackbut,
     which is a wind instrument.