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horn

horn

55 2.9
A brass instrument with a coiled tube and flared bell
  • noun
  • /hɔrn/
translation icon : trompa
  • She's got to work with her kid playing French horn in the background.
  • French horn
  • horn player
  • horn and trumpet

And I think there's a reason, of course, horn players have to take a breath too.

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Examples

  • So here's a famous French horn lick out of Brahms First Symphony.

  • "I got paid to play my horn and serve my country; it was just a fabulous career," she declared.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Because the French horn took up so much room.

  • I played French horn in the marching band.

  • The camera panned to Tony Miranda, the great horn player who died a few years ago.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The musician skillfully played the horn during the concert, captivating the audience with its rich tones.

  • When I visited the orchestra, I was amazed by the beautiful sound of the horn section blending with the strings.

  • He practiced every day to improve his skills on the horn, aiming to join the school's band.

Synonyms

French horn
vshorn
6 4.2

A metal wind instrument with a long coiled tube that makes a warm, rounded sound

is broader in scope and applies to several related instrument types

Idioms

on the horn
  • Informal
34 8.9

To talk to someone on the phone

7 7.5

To talk proudly about things you have done

To sail around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, often in dangerous weather

off the horn
  • Informal
9.4

To call someone and talk informally by phone

Compounds

6 1.1

A loud sound a driver makes to warn others or get attention

6 4.2

A metal wind instrument with a long coiled tube that makes a warm, rounded sound

3 5.5

Having frames for glasses made of horn or dark plastic

saddle horn
  • Specialized
1 5.8

High rounded front part of a Western saddle that riders use to hold a rope or grip

1 3.0

A loud horn that uses compressed air to make a strong sound on trucks or ships

A horn filled with fruit and grain to show plenty

powder horn
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A hollow animal horn for carrying gunpowder in the past

dorsal horn
  • Specialized
1 7.7

A part at the back of the spinal cord that receives signals from nerves for touch and pain

1 6.1

A woodwind instrument like an oboe that has a lower, warm sound

A device on a car that makes a loud sound to warn people

bass horn
  • Specialized
7.0

A brass instrument with a very low sound used in orchestras and bands

basset horn
  • Specialized
9.9

A low clarinet that plays lower notes than the B-flat clarinet and is used in orchestras and chamber music

A shiny metal thing on a car or truck that makes a loud sound and looks decorative

anterior horn
  • Specialized
9.3

The front part of the spinal cord that contains nerve cells controlling muscles

air horn
  • Archaic
6.0

The part of a carburetor where air enters before mixing with fuel

A brass instrument like a small tuba that makes a warm low sound

A river that flows from northern Wyoming into the Bighorn River in southern Montana known for Custer's Last Stand

A part on a vehicle that makes a loud sound to warn people

A button in a vehicle you press to make a loud noise to warn others

horn fly
  • Specialized
9.8

A small black fly that sucks blood from cows near their horns

A region in northeast Africa that includes Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and eastern Ethiopia

9.9

A yellow wild plant with long seed pods that grows on sandy coasts

A plant with upright yellow, trumpet-shaped tubes that catch insects

9.9

A flowering plant with long beak-like white or yellow flowers marked with purple

post horn
  • Archaic
9.9

A small brass instrument like a trumpet that coach drivers use to signal when a coach arrives or leaves

posterior horn
  • Specialized
9.5

Back part of the spinal cord that receives signals from the body about touch and pain

A large branching coral shaped like deer antlers that grows on shallow tropical reefs

ventral horn
  • Specialized
8.7

Front part of the spinal cord that has nerve cells sending signals to muscles

How Low

tuba
20 3.7
trombone
31 3.0
horn
55 2.9
trumpet
125 2.5

Surface Forms

horn singular
horns plural

Etymology

Horn for the musical instrument comes from the old habit of blowing a real animal horn to make music or signals, and when metal instruments were made the name stayed, so we still call them 'horns'.