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

As the principal oboe for the New York Philharmonic, Liang Wang held one of the most prestigious posts in American orchestral music. —Sammy Sussman, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2025

Strings, oboes, French horns, brushed drums, and a trembling croon: music not just arranged, but upholstered. —arkansasonline.com, 3 July 2025

On Amidon’s cover, Gendel plays an Indonesian oboe as Amidon sings over a field recording of some friends eating dinner. —Robert Sullivan, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

The Tangent members are Steven Palacio, bassoon; James Blanchard, flute; Tamara Winston, oboe; Alec Manasse, clarinet; and Cort Roberts, horn. —Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2025

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.