Ocarina

[Dianne]

an old type of wind instrument (= musical instrument that you blow) , often made from clay, that is like an oval pot with holes for the fingers and a part that sticks out for the mouth

[Merna]

A small egg-shaped wind instrument with a mouthpiece and holes for the fingers.

[Dianne]

A wind instrument.
Most Ocarinas consist of a mouthpiece, a chamber with holes and a labium.
An [Ocarina] makes sound just like a whistle does: Air is blown through a mouthpiece and hits a thin, [sharp edge], (called the labium) creating a very pure and clear sound. The frequency of the tone can be altered by covering or uncovering the holes of the chamber.
The modern [ocarina] usually comes in two styles:
*Transverse: 8 - 12 holes, fingering similarities to the recorder. (Ex, the ocarina of time, from the Zelda game with the same name)
*Pendant style: Small, often weared as necklaces, has 4 - 6 holes. (The cheap peruvian ones from markets)
Variations of the ocarina are the oldest known instruments that created actual tones.
In especially USA, ocarinas are uncommon, and many people have only came in contact with them through their appearance in the game [The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time]
This leads many to believe that it is a fictional instrument that the game company Nintendo made up. And that the only live ocarinas that most people have heard is being played as a gimmick by video game fans.
Ocarinas are much more known in Asia, where they a status as a classical instrument.