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horse
[hawrs]
noun
plural
horses ,plural
horse .a large, solid-hoofed, herbivorous quadruped, Equus caballus, domesticated since prehistoric times, bred in a number of varieties, and used for carrying or pulling loads, for riding, and for racing.
a fully mature male animal of this type; stallion.
any of several perissodactyls belonging to the family Equidae, including the horse, zebra, donkey, and ass, having a thick, flat coat with a narrow mane along the back of the neck and bearing the weight on only one functioning digit, the third, which is widened into a round or spade-shaped hoof.
something on which a person rides, sits, or exercises, as if astride the back of such an animal.
rocking horse.
Also called trestle.Ģża frame, block, etc., with legs, on which something is mounted or supported.
Gymnastics.Ģż
Carpentry.Ģżcarriage.
soldiers serving on horseback; cavalry.
a thousand horse.
Informal.ĢżOften horses. horsepower.
Slang.Ģżhorses, the power or capacity to accomplish something, as by having enough money, personnel, or expertise.
Our small company doesn't have the horses to compete against a giant corporation.
Chess Informal.Ģża knight.
Slang.Ģża crib, translation, or other illicit aid to a student's recitation; trot; pony.
Mining.Ģża mass of rock enclosed within a lode or vein.
Nautical.Ģżtraveler.
Shipbuilding.Ģża mold of a curved frame, especially one used when the complexity of the curves requires laying out at full size.
Slang.Ģżheroin.
verb (used with object)
to provide with a horse or horses.
to set on horseback.
to set or carry on a person's back or on one's own back.
Carpentry.Ģżto cut notches for steps into (a carriage beam).
to move with great physical effort or force.
It took three men to horse the trunk up the stairs.
Slang.Ģż
to make (a person) the target of boisterous jokes.
to perform boisterously, as a part or a scene in a play.
Nautical.Ģż
to caulk (a vessel) with a hammer.
to work or haze (a sailor) cruelly or unfairly.
Archaic.Ģżto place (someone) on a person's back, in order to be flogged.
verb (used without object)
to mount or go on a horse.
(of a mare) to be in heat.
Vulgar.Ģżto have sexual intercourse.
adjective
of, for, or pertaining to a horse or horses.
the horse family; a horse blanket.
drawn or powered by a horse or horses.
mounted or serving on horses.
horse troops.
unusually large.
verb phrase
SlangĢżto fool around; indulge in horseplay.
horse
/ ³óÉĖ²õ /
noun
a domesticated perissodactyl mammal, Equus caballus, used for draught work and riding: family Equidae
the adult male of this species; stallion
a horse ( Equus caballus ) that has become feral
another name for Przewalski's horse
any other member of the family Equidae, such as the zebra or ass
( as modifier )
the horse family
(functioning as plural) horsemen, esp cavalry
a regiment of horse
short for Baja California Norte
a narrow board supported by a pair of legs at each end, used as a frame for sawing or as a trestle, barrier, etc
a contrivance on which a person may ride and exercise
a slang word for heroin
mining a mass of rock within a vein of ore
nautical a rod, rope, or cable, fixed at the ends, along which something may slide by means of a thimble, shackle, or other fitting; traveller
chess an informal name for knight
informalĢżshort for horsepower
(modifier) drawn by a horse or horses
a horse cart
a completely different topic, argument, etc
informalĢżto be disdainfully aloof
See flog
to hold back; restrain oneself
a policy, course of action, etc modified slightly to take account of specific circumstances without departing in essentials from the original
the most reliable source
an order to mount horses
verb
(tr) to provide with a horse or horses
to put or be put on horseback
(tr) to move (something heavy) into position by sheer physical strength
Other 51³Ō¹Ļ Forms
- horseless adjective
- horselike adjective
- underhorse verb (used with object)
- Ė³ó“Ē°ł²õ±šĖ±ō¾±°ģ±š adjective
- Ė³ó“Ē°ł²õ±š±ō±š²õ²õ adjective
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of horse1
51³Ō¹Ļ History and Origins
Origin of horse1
Idioms and Phrases
look a gift horse in the mouth, to be critical of a gift.
To horse! Mount your horse! Ride!
hold one's horses, to check one's impulsiveness; be patient or calm.
Hold your horses! I'm almost ready.
beat / flog a dead horse, to attempt to revive a discussion, topic, or idea that has waned, been exhausted, or proved fruitless.
from the horse's mouth, on good authority; from the original or a trustworthy source.
I have it straight from the horse's mouth that the boss is retiring.
horse of another color, something entirely different. Also horse of a different color.
back the wrong horse, to be mistaken in judgment, especially in backing a losing candidate.
Example Sentences
Itās easy to see the youth as signifying the artist, and the replacement for an art-historical horse likewise standing in for a mule.
A customer has called: a horse is loose and wandering in a country lane.
"Sport in the kingdom is still largely known for boxing and horse racing," they said.
A "Trojan horse" therapy that sneaks toxic drugs inside cancer cells is being made available on the NHS in England in a world first.
Youāll start at the Swift Creek Trailhead, taking good care not to park in āstock parkingā areas, where mule packers and horse riders store their trailers during their treks.
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When To Use
A horse is a horse, of course, of course. And that's basically true, etymologically speaking, too.Horse comes from the Old English hors. The word has many cousins in Germanic languages, and might come from an ancient root meaning "to run." If thatās the caseāthen of course!At the same time, that Old English hors has no relation to hors d'oeuvre, French for "outside the main course."And the word hoarse, meaning āhaving harsh or husky sound,ā is a homonym of horse. While the words sound the same and are nearly spelled the same, they have different histories. Now that you know how horses got their name, why not find out how some of our other most beloved pets got theirs in the slideshow: "Where Do The 51³Ō¹Ļs For Our Pets Come From?"
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American HeritageĀ® Idioms Dictionary copyright Ā© 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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