A woodwind musical instrument with a double reed that produces a clear, penetrating sound, often used in orchestras and bands.
From French "hautbois" meaning "high wood" (referring to its high pitch), which came into English as "hoboy" and then "oboe." The French term itself comes from "haut" (high) and "bois" (wood).
The oboe is so distinctive that orchestras use it to tune all the other instruments. If you hear a pure, piercing note before a concert starts, that’s probably the oboe setting the standard pitch.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.