Definition

1. Noun:
   • A musical instrument: A slender woodwind instrument with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece. It is a member of the double-reed family and is known for its distinctive, often plaintive or nasal tone.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The orchestra's sound was enriched by the delicate melody of the hautboy.
  • In Baroque ensembles, the hautboy was a prominent instrument.

Advanced Usage

• Historical Context: The term "hautboy" is an older English name for the instrument more commonly known today as the oboe. It is frequently encountered in historical texts, musicology, and discussions of early music.
  • The score called for two hautboys and a bassoon.

Variants and Related Words

• Oboe (n): The modern term for the same instrument. "Hautboy" and "oboe" are synonyms, with "oboe" being standard in contemporary usage.
  • She plays the oboe in the symphony.
• Oboist (n): A person who plays the oboe/hautboy.
  • The oboist tuned the instrument carefully.

Synonyms

• Oboe: The direct and modern synonym.

Notes on Meaning

• The word "hautboy" refers specifically to the musical instrument. It is not used to refer to a type of strawberry (a potential point of confusion from historical botany, as noted in some older references). In modern English, this botanical meaning is obsolete and the word is exclusively musical.

Noun

1. a slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece