A flageolet is a woodwind musical instrument and a member of the fipple flute family. The first flageolets were made in the 16th Century and the instrument continued to be made until the 20th Century when it was succeeded by the tin whistle.
Flageolets have varied greatly during the last 400 years. The first flageolets were called "French flageolets", and have four tone-holes on the front and two on the back. This instrument was played by Frédéric Chalon and Samuel Pepys, and Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel both wrote pieces for it.
Small versions of this instrument, called bird flageolets were also made and were used for teaching birds to sing.