Meaning & use
oboe
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablemusic
A slim woodwind instrument played by blowing through a double reed, producing a clear, slightly nasal tone.
Grammar: Takes an or the: she plays the oboe.
Patterns
- play the oboe
- oboe solo
She plays the oboe in the school orchestra.
The oboe opens the piece with a gentle, singing melody.
He bought a second-hand oboe from a music shop.
Word forms
| plural | oboes |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the oboe
- My sister plays the oboe in a youth band.
- oboe solo
- The concerto includes a lovely oboe solo.
- oboe concerto
- They performed a famous oboe concerto last night.
- oboe reed
- He spent an hour shaping an oboe reed.
- principal oboe
- She is the principal oboe in the city orchestra.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- oboist noun
- a person who plays the oboe
- oboe d'amore noun
- a slightly lower-pitched member of the oboe family
- cor anglais noun
- a larger, lower relative of the oboe
Commonly confused: oboe or hobo?
oboe vs hobo
A hobo is a wandering worker; oboe is the instrument. They share the same letters in a different order.
Practice
In an orchestra, which instrument is a double-reed woodwind that sets the pitch for tuning?
Choose one answer.
The oboe has a double reed and gives the tuning note. The flute is a woodwind too, but it has no reed, so it is the tempting wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “oboe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.