English horn
1
6.1
- noun
- /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ hɔrn/
:
corno inglés
- He played the English horn with such skill that the audience was captivated by its rich tone.
Examples
-
Love the hand-crafted English horn.
Blog text (18) -
Slow, soft English horn—leisurely walk; thoughtful time; perhaps pausing to look at sights along the way.
Academic text (1998) -
The English horn produces a hauntingly beautiful sound that complements orchestra performances.
-
During the concert, the English horn was featured prominently in the melodic sections.
Synonyms
A musical instrument like an oboe but lower and with a mellow tone
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning (a double‑reed woodwind in the oboe family) is not derivable from 'English' (pertaining to England) + 'horn' (a brass/horn instrument); a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely assume a horn from England or a brass horn, which is incorrect. The term is a historical/misleading name (a misnomer) rather than a transparent composition, so its meaning cannot be predicted from the parts.
Etymology
English horn may sound like an instrument from England, but it is not a horn and not from England; one popular story says the name came from an old word meaning 'bent' because the instrument's tube is curved, so people began to call it 'English horn'. This story helps explain why the name refers to a longer, lower kind of oboe with a deep, warm sound.