a single-reed instrument with a straight tube
"The jazz musician began his solo on the clarinet, its single reed vibrating against the mouthpiece to produce a smooth sound through the straight tube."
A woodwind musical instrument that has a distinctive liquid tone whose characteristics vary among its three registers: chalumeau (low), clarion (medium), and altissimo (high).
"The virtuoso played the clarinet, showcasing how its distinctive liquid tone shifts from the warm chalumeau register to the soaring altissimo as she moved through her three-register piece."
In plain English: A clarinet is a long, black woodwind instrument that musicians play by blowing air through a reed attached to its mouthpiece.
"The jazz musician played a lively tune on his clarinet during the concert."
Usage: Clarinet refers specifically to the single-reed instrument; avoid confusing it with "clarino," which is an archaic term for a trumpet or cornet. In musical contexts, note that the word is often used attributively before other nouns (e.g., clarinet case) rather than as a standalone subject in casual speech.
The word "clarinet" comes from the Italian clarinetto, a small version of clarino meaning trumpet, chosen because early instruments had a strident tone similar to that brass instrument. Alternatively, it may derive from the French clarinette, which refers to a bell and traces back through words for clear or bright sound to the Latin root clarus.