1. A Renaissance woodwind instrument with a double reed, resembling a small bassoon and producing a soft, sweet tone.
Usage: historical; musical instrument; also called dulcimer in some contexts, though dulcian is the more precise term

Examples

• The dulcian was a popular instrument in 16th-century European courts.
• Musicians valued the dulcian for its mellow, gentle sound in chamber ensembles.
• The composer wrote a delicate passage for the dulcian in the madrigal.
• Early music ensembles often include a dulcian to achieve authentic Renaissance sonorities.