1. A double-reed woodwind instrument of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, predecessor of the modern oboe.
Usage: archaic; historical

Examples

• The hautboy was a popular instrument in 17th-century European orchestras.
• Musicians in the Baroque period favored the hautboy for its warm, expressive tone.
• The hautboy eventually evolved into the modern oboe we know today.
• Early composers wrote elaborate parts for the hautboy in their chamber works.
• The double reed of the hautboy required considerable skill to play well.