1. A Renaissance wind instrument with a wooden or ivory body, finger holes, and a cup-shaped mouthpiece, used especially in early music.
Usage: Also spelled 'cornet' in historical contexts; 'cornett' is the preferred modern spelling to distinguish it from the modern brass cornet.; Musical instrument; historical/early music context.

Examples

• The cornett was a popular instrument in 16th-century ensembles.
• She learned to play the cornett as part of her early music studies.
• The cornett's bright, piercing tone made it ideal for outdoor performances.
• Renaissance composers wrote many pieces specifically for the cornett.
• The museum's collection includes several well-preserved cornetts from the 1600s.