English horn

American  

noun

1. a large oboe, a fifth lower in pitch than the ordinary oboe, having a pear-shaped bell and producing a mellow tone.

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English horn British  

noun

1. music another name for cor anglais

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Etymology

Origin of English horn

First recorded in 1830–40

Compare meaning

How does english-horn compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• English horn vs. French horn

Example Sentences

Pedro R. Díaz played the haunting English horn solos—in costume in the tunnel—embodying the lifelong mourning that torments Tristan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

Kudos to them all, particularly to the eloquent English horn of Stefan Farkas, whose solo passages added so much to the atmosphere of longing and heartbreak.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 17, 2022

For the duck, there’s oboe and English horn.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2022

Phil celebrated Kraft’s upcoming 80th birthday in 2003 by commissioning a Concerto for English Horn and Orchestra, “The Grand Encounter,” written for the orchestra’s English horn player, Carolyn Hove, and conducted by Salonen.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2022

Of my minor works, you can still have Variations for two oboes and one English horn, on the theme from "Don Giovanni," "La ci darem la mano," and a Gratulation Minuet for a full orchestra.

From Beethoven's Letters 1790-1826, Volume 2 by Nohl, Ludwig