speaking trumpet
speaking trumpet — noun
1. a long, cone-shaped tube, usually made of metal or wood, that someone held up to
a long, cone-shaped tube, usually made of metal or wood, that someone held up to the mouth and used before electronic microphones existed to make the voice louder so it could be heard over a long distance or by a large crowd
At the museum, a guide showed how a speaking trumpet helped captains give orders across a dock.
register: dated; historical context
Town criers used a speaking trumpet to make announcements in crowded market squares.
Nadia found a brass speaking trumpet at the antique shop and imagined a captain using it.
The reenactor raised his speaking trumpet and called across the field in a powerful voice.
- megaphone
the modern successor, which may be unpowered (plastic cone) or electronic; 'speaking trumpet' is strictly the older, horn-shaped metal device
- loudhailer
British English term for an electronic handheld amplifier; distinct because it uses batteries rather than just acoustic shaping
用法筆記
Frequently used in historical or museum contexts; the word is now considered dated. Modern speakers normally say 'megaphone' or 'loudhailer' instead.