1877Valve horn [see valve trumpet n.]. 1938 439/2 The valve horn has the immense advantage of..a chromatic series, for three valves add instantaneously to the air column a length corresponding respectively to a semitone, two semitones, and three semitones.
1959 4 June 1001/3 The more limpid yet penetrating tone of the narrower-bored French valve-horn.
1977 5 221/2 Scores of the valve horn era.