trombone

Pluraltrombones, tromboni

Formstrombones, tromboning, tromboned

1. 1
   nouncountable

   A brass instrument that you play by sliding a long tube in and out to change the notes.

   Like a long metal straw that you make longer and shorter to change its sound.

   She learned to play the trombone when she was ten years old.

   A trombone can slide smoothly from one note down to the next.

   Note
2. 2
   nouncountable

   A large brown marsh bird from Europe that makes a deep booming sound.

   The birdwatcher finally spotted a trombone standing motionless among the tall reeds.

   Each spring the trombone returns to the marsh and booms across the water.

   Similarbittern

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A pole that can be made longer or shorter to hang lights on a set.

   Like a stick that gets longer or shorter so you can put a light right where you need it.

   The crew used a trombone to hang the lamp above the stage.

   She raised the trombone so the light shone down on the actors.

   Note
4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To send data back to a central point first, and then out to where it needs to go.

   Like mailing a letter to a sorting office across town first, even when your neighbor lives right next door.

   Older systems trombone the call through one main hub before it reaches you.

   If you trombone the data, it travels to the center and back out again.

   Note
5. 5
   verbslangtransitive

   To quickly zoom a camera lens in and out, often too much.

   Like pushing a trombone slide in and out fast, but doing it with a camera's zoom instead.

   Don't trombone the lens during a quiet interview.

   New camera operators tend to trombone the zoom far too much.

   Note

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