The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Flute \Flute\, n. [OE. floute, floite, fr. OF. fla["u]te,
   flahute, flahuste, F. fl?te; cf. LL. flauta, D. fluit. See
   Flute, v. i.]
   1. A musical wind instrument, consisting of a hollow cylinder
      or pipe, with holes along its length, stopped by the
      fingers or by keys which are opened by the fingers. The
      modern flute is closed at the upper end, and blown with
      the mouth at a lateral hole.
      [1913 Webster]

            The breathing flute's soft notes are heard around.
                                                  --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Arch.) A channel of curved section; -- usually applied to
      one of a vertical series of such channels used to decorate
      columns and pilasters in classical architecture. See
      Illust. under Base, n.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A similar channel or groove made in wood or other
      material, esp. in plaited cloth, as in a lady's ruffle.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. A long French breakfast roll. --Simonds.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. A stop in an organ, having a flutelike sound.
      [1913 Webster]

   Flute bit, a boring tool for piercing ebony, rosewood, and
      other hard woods.

   Flute pipe, an organ pipe having a sharp lip or wind-cutter
      which imparts vibrations to the column of air in the pipe.
      --Knight.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Flute \Flute\ (fl[=u]t), n. [Cf. F. fl[^u]te a transport, D.
   fluit.]
   A kind of flyboat; a storeship.
   [1913 Webster]

   Armed en fl[^u]te(Nav.), partially armed.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Flute \Flute\, v. i. [OE. flouten, floiten, OF. fla["u]ter,
   fle["u]ter, flouster, F. fl[^u]ter, cf. D. fluiten; ascribed
   to an assumed LL. flautare, flatuare, fr. L. flatus a
   blowing, fr. flare to blow. Cf. Flout, Flageolet,
   Flatulent.]
   To play on, or as on, a flute; to make a flutelike sound.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Flute \Flute\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fluted; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Fluting.]
   1. To play, whistle, or sing with a clear, soft note, like
      that of a flute.
      [1913 Webster]

            Knaves are men,
            That lute and flute fantastic tenderness.
                                                  --Tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

            The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee.      --Emerson.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To form flutes or channels in, as in a column, a ruffle,
      etc.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

flute
    n 1: a high-pitched woodwind instrument; a slender tube closed
         at one end with finger holes on one end and an opening near
         the closed end across which the breath is blown [syn:
         flute, transverse flute]
    2: a tall narrow wineglass [syn: flute, flute glass,
       champagne flute]
    3: a groove or furrow in cloth etc (particularly a shallow
       concave groove on the shaft of a column) [syn: flute,
       fluting]
    v 1: form flutes in

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

193 Moby Thesaurus words for "flute":
   English horn, Pandean pipe, aulos, bagpipe, bark, basset horn,
   basset oboe, bassoon, bawl, bellow, bezel, blare, blat, blow,
   blow a horn, blubber, bombard, boom, bray, breathe, bugle, buzz,
   cackle, canal, canalize, carillon, carve, chamfer, channel, chant,
   chase, chink, chirp, chisel, clarinet, clarion, contrabassoon,
   contrafagotto, coo, corrugate, corrugation, crack, cranny, crease,
   crimp, crisp, cromorne, crow, cut, dado, dike, ditch, dog-ear,
   doodle, double, double bassoon, double over, double reed,
   double-tongue, drawl, enfold, engrave, engraving, exclaim, fife,
   fipple flute, flageolet, flounce, fluting, fold, fold over, frill,
   furrow, gash, gasp, gather, goffer, gouge, groove, growl, grunt,
   gully, hautboy, heckelphone, hiss, hornpipe, incise, incision,
   infold, interfold, keen, lap over, licorice stick, lilt, lip,
   microgroove, mumble, murmur, musette, mutter, oaten reed, oboe,
   oboe da caccia, ocarina, panpipe, pant, penny-whistle, piccolo,
   pipe, plait, plat, pleat, plicate, plow, ply, pommer, quill,
   rabbet, recorder, reed, reed instrument, rifle, rifling, roar,
   ruck, ruff, ruffle, rumble, rut, sax, saxophone, score, scratch,
   scream, screech, shawm, shriek, sibilate, sigh, sing, single reed,
   single-reed instrument, slit, snap, snarl, snort, sob, sonorophone,
   sound, squall, squawk, squeal, streak, stria, striate, striation,
   sulcation, sulcus, sweet potato, syrinx, tabor pipe, tenoroon,
   thunder, tin-whistle, tongue, toot, tootle, trench, triple-tongue,
   trough, trumpet, tuck, turn over, twang, tweedle, twill, wail,
   warble, well-worn groove, whine, whisper, whistle, wind,
   wind the horn, woods, woodwind, woodwind choir,
   woodwind instrument, wrinkle, yap, yawp, yell, yelp



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Flute
   a musical instrument, probably composed of a number of pipes,
   mentioned Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15.

     In Matt. 9:23, 24, notice is taken of players on the flute,
   here called "minstrels" (but in R.V. "flute-players").

     Flutes were in common use among the ancient Egyptians.