1. An ancient wind instrument, originally made from animal horn, metal, or wood. In the Medieval and Renaissance eras, the horn was used to signal in battles and in hunts. The horn gradually evolved through a series of transformations: the horn for hunting became spiraled so its length would not interfere with its mobility, this natural horn became more refined and found its way into the early Classical orchestra as a character instrument, implying military or hunting scenes. Eventually crooks, and then valves were invented for the horn, enabling it to be fully chromatic. In America, it is often referred to as the French horn.Spanish term for the horn.

   Also [Eng.] horn; [Fr.] cor; [Ger.] Horn; [Ger.] Ventilhorn; [It.] corno; [Sp.] trompa..

2. A slang term referring to any wind instrument.

Horn Photo courtesy of G. Leblanc Corporation