oboe
pronunciation
How to pronounce oboe in British English:
UK [ˈəʊbəʊ]
How to pronounce oboe in American English:
US [ˈoʊboʊ]
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- Noun:
- a slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece
Word Origin
- oboe
- oboe: [18] The oboe gets its name from its high pitch. Its ultimate ancestor was French hautbois, a compound of haut ‘high’ and bois ‘wood’ (the oboe is a woodwind instrument). English acquired this in the 16th century as hautboy, but from the 18th century it was gradually ousted by the Italian version of the word, oboe (itself originally an acquisition from French).=> bush
- oboe (n.)
- 1724, from Italian oboe, from phonetic spelling of Middle French hautbois (itself borrowed in English 16c. as hautboy), from haut "high, loud, high-pitched" (see haught) + bois "wood" (see bush (n.)). So called because it had the highest register among woodwind instruments. Related: Oboist.
Example
- 1. Eg he played the oboe professionally .
- 2. A musician who plays the oboe .
- 3. A medieval form of the oboe .
- 4. New instruments were developed specifically the recorder the transverse flute oboe and bassoon .
- 5. I asked him why he did not play the oboe any more .