Emily Dickinson Lexicon

FLUTE, n. [Fr. flûte; Arm. fleut; D. fluit; G. flöte; Dan. flöjte; Sp. flauta; Port. frauta; It. flauto; L. flo, flatus, to blow, or L. fluta, a lamprey, with the same number of holes.]

1. A small wind instrument; a pipe with lateral holes or stops, played by blowing with the mouth, and by stopping and opening the holes with the fingers.
2. A channel in a column or pillar; a perpendicular furrow or cavity, cut along the shaft of a column or pilaster; so called from its resemblance to a flute. It is used chiefly in the Ionic order; sometimes in the Composite and Corinthian; rarely in the Doric and Tuscan. It is called also a reed. Encyc.
3. A long vessel or boat, with flat ribs or floor timbers, round behind, and swelled in the middle; a different orthography of float, flota. Encyc. Armed in flute. An armed ship, with her guns of the lower tier and part of those of the upper tier removed, used as a transport, is said to be armed in flute. Lunier.