oboe

noun

ˈō-(ˌ)bō 

: a double-reed woodwind instrument having a conical tube, a brilliant penetrating tone, and a usual range from B flat below middle C upward for over 2¹/₂ octaves

oboist

ˈō-(ˌ)bō-ist 

noun

Illustration of oboe

Examples of oboe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tea is the principal oboe in the wind ensemble and symphony orchestra, and currently the tenor saxophone section leader of the marching band. —Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025

Wang was hired as principal oboe in September 2006. —Ronald Blum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Splendid flutes and oboes left dramatic trails, as did its declarative finish, which hung in the air and commanded a respectful silence. —Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 July 2024

The French horn/bassoon/clarinet/oboe/flute quintet Imani Winds is at UConn’s Jorgensen Center. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian, from French hautbois — more at hautbois

First Known Use

circa 1726, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for oboe

• bobo
• hobo
• lobo

Kids Definition

oboe

noun

ˈō-bō 

: a musical instrument in the form of a slender tube that has a distinctive bright sound and that is played by blowing into a mouthpiece holding two reeds

oboist

ˈō-ˌbō-əst 

noun

Etymology

from Italian oboe "oboe," from French hautbois (same meaning), from haut "high" and bois "wood"

Word Origin

The musical instrument we now call an oboe was developed in France in the 17th century. The French called it a hautbois, a word pronounced something like English "o boy" and made up of haut, meaning "high," and bois, meaning "wood." The hautbois was the highest pitched member of a group of woodwind instruments played with a reed. For a time the English simply used the French word for the instrument. Sometimes they spelled it hautbois, sometimes hautboy, and sometimes they changed the spelling to oboy or hoboy. Meanwhile, the Italians took the French word as oboe, a spelling closer to the way they pronounced it. In the 18th century it became fashionable in England to prefer Italian musical terms. The English then started using the form oboe instead of hautbois, and so oboe is the form we use today.