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Flutes are instruments in which a stream of air is blown over a sharp edge, creating a vibration that is then resonated in the body of the instrument. As a category, flutes include such instruments as recorders and ocarinas. When used to refer to a specific instrument, however, flute usually means the metal tube instrument held perpendicular to the player's head and about 2 feet (67 cm.) long. Orchestras usually have two or three flutes, but may have four, depending on the piece.
The piccolo is a member of the flute family that is smaller and pitched an octave higher than the orchestral flute.
In The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Ennio Morriconi famously made use of a recorder (with reverberation) for a key motive:
One special effect available to flute players is flutter tonguing, that is, blowing air while rolling the tongue:
