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A wind instrument, blown by a single reed, of richer and fuller tone than the oboe, which has a double reed. It is the leading instrument in a military band.

instruments, especially those making a loud sound, as certain wind instruments (trumpets, clarinets, etc.), and drums, or cymbals.

An instrument blown with a reed, and resembling a clarinet, but of much greater compass, embracing nearly four octaves.

stopped by the fingers, and by keys, as in flutes. It forms the natural bass to the oboe, clarinet, etc.

See Clarinet.

A tenor clarinet; -- called also basset horn, and sometimes confounded with the English horn, which is a tenor oboe.

A wind instrument, sounded through a reed, and similar in shape to the clarinet, but with a thinner tone. Now more commonly called oboe. See Illust. of Oboe.

yet of great antiquity, having a penetrating pastoral quality of tone, somewhat like the clarinet in form, but more slender, and sounded by means of a double reed; a hautboy. Oboe d'amore Etym: [It., lit., oboe of love], and Oboe di caccia Etym: [It., lit., oboe of the chase], are names of obsolete modifications of th…

ched to the mouthpiece of certain instruments, and set in vibration by the breath. In the clarinet it is a single fiat reed; in the oboe and bassoon it is double, forming a compressed tube.

ss, containing a reed, and partaking of the qualities both of a brass instrument and of a clarinet.

A wind instrument of music, formerly in use, supposed to have resembled either the clarinet or the hautboy in form. [Written also shalm, shaum.] Otway. Even from the shrillest shaum unto the cornamute. Drayton.