sax
n. countable B1 Intermediate US //ˈsæks// UK //sˈæks// sax
n. a common short name for the saxophone. It is a metal musical instrument that you blow into to play jazz or classical music.
n. a shortened, informal name for the saxophone. Refers to the woodwind instrument typically made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece.
He plays the sax in a local jazz band.
The lead musician switched from the trumpet to the sax for the final solo of the night.
While the instrument is technically classified as a woodwind due to its reed, the sax is often associated with the brass section in modern popular music arrangements.
Usage
Informal shortening of 'saxophone'; acceptable in casual speech and music journalism but less common in formal academic writing.