oboe [E18th] This is the borrowed Italian form of the French hautbois, a musical instrument in use from at least the 15th century. The French form has been adopted into English by the late 16th century in the forms hautboy and hoboy before being replaced by the Italian. Hautbois was formed from French haut ‘high’, reflecting its pitch compared with other woodwind instruments such as the bassoon, and bois ‘wood’ from which it was made.