embouchure

[ ahm-boo-shoor, ahm-boo-shoor; French ahn-boo-shyr ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

plural embouchures

the mouth of a river.
the opening out of a valley into a plain.
Music.
1. the mouthpiece of a wind instrument.
2. the adjustment of a player's mouth to such a mouthpiece.

embouchure

/ ˌɒ��ʊˈʃʊə /

noun

the mouth of a river or valley
music
1. the correct application of the lips and tongue in playing a wind instrument
2. the mouthpiece of a wind instrument

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Word History and Origins

Origin of embouchure¹

1750–60; < French, equivalent to embouch ( er ) to put (an instrument) to one's mouth ( em- em- ¹ + bouche mouth < Latin bucca puffed cheek) + -ure -ure

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Word History and Origins

Origin of embouchure¹

C18: from French, from Old French emboucher to put to one's mouth, from bouche mouth, from Latin bucca cheek

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Trumpeters need to play all the time because of the embouchure and muscle memory.

From

Rogers’s own music is often hyper urgent and fast-acting, but in the relaxed time scale of this performance allowed, she savored every extended-technique tool in her embouchure.

From

Madge and I glide our slides together, reaching for C, back up for F. Sometimes when I see her pinched face in perfect embouchure, I start to giggle.

From

As he occasionally, instinctually pursed his lips to practice the embouchure he uses on his mouthpiece, he explained that he was a different man when separated from his instrument.

From

Allen quickly went downtown to buy a flute, but soon realized that he couldn’t play it: “I didn’t have the embouchure. I knew the keys and everything, but I didn’t have the chops.”

From

embothrium embourgeoisement

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