What does kazoo mean?
A kazoo is a small wind instrument whose sound is produced by a player humming into a tube covered by a vibrating membrane. The resulting tone is high-pitched, wavering, and deliberately comical, giving the instrument a strong association with parties, children, amateur performances, and humorous celebration. Although it belongs to the wind-instrument family, it has no reed or conventional mouthpiece; the player's voice supplies the airflow, while the membrane changes that airflow into a buzzing note. Kazoos are often inexpensive toys or novelty instruments and may appear in ensembles as a playful addition to more conventional music. The word can also be used figuratively in British English to describe someone as foolish or ineffectual, though that sense is informal and potentially insulting.
nounA small wind instrument consisting of a tube with a vibrating membrane, which produces a high-pitched humming or squeaking sound when the player hums into it.
- A small tubular wind instrument with a membrane that vibrates when the player hums into it, producing a high-pitched, comical tone.
"She played the kazoo during the finale, much to the audience's amusement."
"He improvised a melody on the kazoo while the rest of the band took a break."
"The novelty kazoo came with the children's party kit."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"The children played kazoos during the ceremony."
A kazoo makes its music without reeds: humming through the tube makes a thin membrane buzz like a very small, very cheerful brass band.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kazoo come from?
The word kazoo is an American coinage that is first documented in the 1930s. Its precise origin is uncertain, but its form and sound are generally understood to imitate the high, buzzing tone produced by the instrument. It was later adopted in British English and other languages as the common name for this type of novelty wind instrument.
Related word forms
How kazoo is actually used
The word is usually informal or humorous and often conveys that the music is amateurish, unserious, or playfully poor. In British English, it can also be used informally as a mildly insulting term for a foolish or ineffectual person.