noun
oboe
OH-boh
noun
1
A slender wooden wind instrument with a double reed, played in orchestras and bands.
"The oboe played the opening melody of the symphony."
How to Use Oboe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA woodwind instrument with a distinctive reedy, nasal tone.
Word Forms
oboes plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “oboe”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ played the opening melody of the symphony.
Etymology
Adopted into English around 1770 from Italian oboe, itself a spelling of the French hautbois ("high wood") — from haut ("high, loud") + bois ("wood").