oboe
1[ oh-boh ]
/ ˈoʊ boʊ /
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noun
a woodwind instrument having a slender conical, tubular body and a double-reed mouthpiece.
(in an organ) a reed stop with a sound like that of an oboe.
(a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter O.)
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Origin of oboe
1Words nearby oboe
obloquy, obmutescence, obnounce, obnoxious, obnubilate, oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, oboe d'amour, oboist, obol
Definition for oboe (2 of 2)
oboe2
[ oh-boh ]
/ ˈoʊ boʊ /
noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a navigation system utilizing two radar ground stations that measure the distance to an aircraft and then radio the information to the aircraft.
Origin of oboe
2First recorded in 1940–45; special use of oboe1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for oboe
British Dictionary definitions for oboe
oboe
/ (ˈəʊbəʊ) /
noun
a woodwind instrument of the family that includes the bassoon and cor anglais, consisting of a conical tube fitted with a mouthpiece having a double reed. It has a penetrating nasal tone. Range: about two octaves plus a sixth upwards from B flat below middle C
a person who plays this instrument in an orchestrasecond oboe
Archaic form: hautboy
Derived forms of oboe
oboist, nounWord Origin for oboe
C18: via Italian oboe, phonetic approximation to French haut bois, literally: high wood (referring to its pitch)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Cultural definitions for oboe
oboe
A woodwind instrument played with a double reed; similar to a bassoon, but pitched higher. Some describe its tone as nasal.
notes for oboe
The oboe appears frequently as a solo instrument in symphonies and other kinds of classical music.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.