An alternative spelling of hautbois; the historical English term for an oboe.
A variant anglicization of French hautbois, sometimes spelled as two words 'haut boy' before settling on this form in English texts from the 1600s-1800s.
Language learners in the 17th century got creative with French words—'hautboy' was one English musician's attempt to make the fancy French instrument name actually pronounceable to English speakers!
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