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.

---

English horn British  

noun

1. music another name for cor anglais

---

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

“I started out on oboe at Eastman,” he said, “but I also played English horn in some of the performing groups. It was already my preference. It fits my musical persona like a glove.”

From New York Times • May 12, 2023

Kathryn Meany Wilson gave a beautiful solo on English horn — tracing the path of a plane through darkness.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2022

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

One of these had settled in Salzburg, and both were equally renowned as performers on the English horn.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various