cornet

UK: /ˈkɔː^rnɪt/

US: /kɔrˈnɛt; esp. Brit. ˈkɔrnɪt/

US: (kôr net′ for 1; kôr′nit, kôr net′ for 2–8)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cor•net /kɔrˈnɛt; esp. Brit. ˈkɔrnɪt/   n. [countable]

1. Music and Dance a wind instrument with valves, of the trumpet family.
2. British Terms Brit. an ice-cream cone.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cor•net  (kôr net′ for 1; kôr′nit, kôr net′ for 2–8), n. 

1. Music and Dance a valved wind instrument of the trumpet family.
2. Food a small cone of paper twisted at the end and used for holding candy, nuts, etc.
3. Food a pastry cone, usually filled with whipped cream.
4. British Terms a conical wafer, as for ice cream;
   cone.
5. Clothing, Religion a large, white, winged headdress formerly worn by the members of the Sisters of Charity.
6. Clothing a woman's headdress, often cone-shaped, usually of delicate fabrics and having lappets of lace or other material, worn by women from the 14th to the 18th century.
7. Military a pennant or flag used for signaling in a navy.
8. (formerly) the officer who carried the colors in a troop of cavalry:
   the cornet of horse.

• Latin cornū; see cornu) + -et -et
• Middle French, Old French, equivalent. to corn horn (
• Middle English 1325–75

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

cornet / ˈkɔːnɪt/ noun

1. Also called: cornet à pistons / ˈkɔːnɪt ə ˈpɪstənz kɔrnɛ a pistɔ̃/ a three-valved brass instrument of the trumpet family. Written range: about two and a half octaves upwards from E below middle C. It is a transposing instrument in B flat or A
2. a person who plays the cornet
3. a cone-shaped paper container for sweets, etc
4. a cone-shaped wafer container for ice cream
5. (formerly) the lowest rank of commissioned cavalry officer in the British army
6. the large white headdress of some nuns

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from corn, from Latin cornū horn