Hey! I just want to get this straight: when someone says the word horn, what specefic instrument is being referred to?

Hi!

A person who is cultured and refined (read, a horn player) is referring to the horn in F, also known as the French Horn.
A person who is not cultured and refined (read, everyone else) could be referring to anything from a flute to a tuba.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something; namely, a lie. };->

In ska music for instance, the horn section is any wind instrument.

Fight the power, (!!!)
+Jonny

typically french horns, but i`ve seen it used to refer to brass instruments collectively.

Hi! in big band and jazz-speak a horn is ANY instrument!!!!