bugle

UK: /ˈbjuːg^əl/ US: /ˈbjugəl/ ,(byo̅o̅′gəl)

Inflections of 'bugle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

bugles

v 3rd person singular

bugling

v pres p

bugled

v past

bugled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

bu•gle /ˈbyugəl/   n., v., -gled, -gling. 
n. [countable]

1. Music and Dance a brass wind instrument resembling a horn but usually without keys or valves.

v. [no object]

2. Music and Dance to sound a bugle.

bu•gler, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

bu•gle¹  (byo̅o̅′gəl), n., v., -gled, -gling. 
n. 

1. Music and Dance a brass wind instrument resembling a cornet and sometimes having keys or valves, used typically for sounding military signals.

v.i. 

2. Music and Dance to sound a bugle.
3. Animal Behavior (of bull elks) to utter a rutting call.

v.t. 

4. Music and Dance to call by or with a bugle:
   to bugle reveille.

• Latin būculus bullock, young ox, equivalent. to bū- variant stem of bōs ox + -culus -cle¹
• Anglo-French, Old French
• Middle English bugle (horn) instrument made of an ox horn 1250–1300

bu′gler, n. 

bu•gle²  (byo̅o̅′gəl), n. 

1. Plant Biology ajuga.

• Medieval Latin bugula a kind of plant
• Old French
• Middle English 1225–75

bu•gle³  (byo̅o̅′gəl), n. 

1. Clothing Also called bu′gle bead′. a tubular glass bead used for ornamenting dresses.

adj. 

2. Clothing Also, bu′gled. ornamented with bugles.

• of obscure origin, originally 1570–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bugle / ˈbjuːɡ^əl/ noun

1. a brass instrument similar to the cornet but usually without valves: used for military fanfares, signal calls, etc

verb

1. (intransitive) to play or sound (on) a bugle

Etymology: 14th Century: short for bugle horn ox horn (musical instrument), from Old French bugle, from Latin būculus young bullock, from bōs ox

ˈbugler noun

bugle / ˈbjuːɡ^əl/ noun

1. any of several Eurasian plants of the genus Ajuga, esp A. reptans, having small blue or white flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

Etymology: 13th Century: from Late Latin bugula, of uncertain origin

bugle / ˈbjuːɡ^əl/ noun

1. a tubular glass or plastic bead sewn onto clothes for decoration

Etymology: 16th Century: of unknown origin