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. a frame, block, etc., with legs, on which something is mounted or supported.
Gymnastics.
vaulting horse.
pommel horse.
Carpentry. carriage (def. 7).
soldiers serving on horseback; cavalry: a thousand horse.
Slang. a man; fellow.
Often horses.Informal. horsepower.
horses,Slang. 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.
ChessInformal. a knight.
Slang. a crib, translation, or other illicit aid to a student's recitation; trot; pony.
Mining. a mass of rock enclosed within a lode or vein.
Nautical. traveler (def. 6b).
Shipbuilding. a mold of a curved frame, especially one used when the complexity of the curves requires laying out at full size.
Slang. heroin.
verb (used with object),horsed,hors·ing.
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. to 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.
to make (a person) the target of boisterous jokes.
to perform boisterously, as a part or a scene in a play.
Nautical.
to caulk (a vessel) with a hammer.
to work or haze (a sailor) cruelly or unfairly.
Archaic. to place (someone) on a person's back, in order to be flogged.
verb (used without object),horsed,hors·ing.
to mount or go on a horse.
(of a mare) to be in heat.
Vulgar. to 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 Phrases
horse around,Slang. to fool around; indulge in horseplay.
Idioms for horse
back the wrong horse, to be mistaken in judgment, especially in backing a losing candidate.
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, Informal. on good authority; from the original or a trustworthy source: I have it straight from the horse's mouth that the boss is retiring.
hold one's horses, Informal. to check one's impulsiveness; be patient or calm: Hold your horses! I'm almost ready.
horse of another color, something entirely different.Also horse of a different color.
look a gift horse in the mouth, to be critical of a gift.
To horse!Mount your horse! Ride!
Origin of horse
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English noun hors; cognate with Old Norse hross, Dutch ros, German Ross (Middle High German ros, Old High German hros ), from Germanic horso-, perhaps from the same Proto-Indo-European root that is the source of Latin currere “to run” (from unattested cursere ); Middle English horsen “to provide with horses,” Old English horsian, derivative of the noun
OTHER WORDS FROM horse
horseless,adjectivehorselike,adjectiveun·der·horse,verb (used with object),un·der·horsed,un·der·hors·ing.
The bill also includes apparent safety measures that I consider Trojan horses because they would allow the government to surveil users.
Brazil’s “fake news” bill won’t solve its misinformation problem|Amy Nordrum|September 10, 2020|MIT Technology Review
I found that the press was usually more interested in drama among Democrats, the kind of blow-by-blow, the horse race.
Pete Buttigieg Says Dems Did Not Coordinate to Seal Biden’s Primary Win|Nick Fouriezos|September 9, 2020|Ozy
Of course, Main Street investors, for the most part, can’t afford to throw down millions of dollars for a race horse, classic car, or art piece.
How a bottled-water founder became the richest man in China (for a moment)|Lucinda Shen|September 8, 2020|Fortune
In 1984, a prize horse owned by the president of Deston Fearing, a Minnesota-based animal identification company, was stolen.
The American Fringes Go Mainstream|Nick Fouriezos|September 6, 2020|Ozy
Dark-horse candidates include current foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi and defense minister Taro Kono.
The legacy Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, will leave after resigning|claychandler|August 28, 2020|Fortune
I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The poet apparently collapsed in the street upon his departure from “The Horse” and died not long after.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Horse You Came in On Saloon, Baltimore Horse-themed bars must be bad luck for famous authors.
The Bars That Made America Great|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the budget provides $697,000 to the “Horse Protection Act of 1970.”
Congress’ Gift That Keeps on Giving|P. J. O’Rourke|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We kept on shooting for another year...and were never able to get the shot of him climbing on the horse.
‘No Regrets’: Peter Jackson Says Goodbye to Middle-Earth|Alex Suskind|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now, we could do wi' a third horse—get yourself ready, and drive over there, and take a look at it.
The Root of All Evil|J. S. Fletcher
Looking back, when he reached the house, he saw that Masten was still standing beside his horse.
The Range Boss|Charles Alden Seltzer
Every horse that can stand up is pressed into service for the day.
Worldly Ways and Byways|Eliot Gregory
Sits on the bench, I believe; rides a horse in the Yeomanry; very good-looking, quite intelligent.
Yonder|Emily Hilda Young
They appeared as if one horse had been mounted, and the other led.
Astoria|Washington Irving
British Dictionary definitions for horse
horse
/ (hɔːs) /
noun
a domesticated perissodactyl mammal, Equus caballus, used for draught work and riding: family EquidaeRelated adjective: equine
the adult male of this species; stallion
wild horse
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 cavalrya 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
mininga mass of rock within a vein of ore
nauticala 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
informal short for horsepower
(modifier)drawn by a horse or horsesa horse cart
a horse of another colourora horse of a different coloura completely different topic, argument, etc
be on one's high horseorget on one's high horseinformalto be disdainfully aloof
flog a dead horse See flog (def. 6)
hold one's horsesto hold back; restrain oneself
horses for coursesa policy, course of action, etc modified slightly to take account of specific circumstances without departing in essentials from the original
the horse's mouththe most reliable source
to horse!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
Derived forms of horse
horseless, adjectivehorselike, adjective
Word Origin for horse
Old English hors; related to Old Frisian hors, Old High German hros, Old Norse hross