Definition of hoe
1 : any of various implements for tilling, mixing, or raking; especially : a tool with a thin flat blade on a long handle used especially for cultivating, weeding, or loosening the earth around plants
2 : backhoe
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Recent Examples of hoe from the Web
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Those who used to scrape a living from the soil with a wooden hoe start driving tractors.
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The neutral hoe cakes do little to quell the burn from this sauce duo, which threatens to overpower.
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One recent afternoon, young men with rakes and hoes worked to level the site of a new soccer field, saying the land had been a forest not long ago.
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One recent afternoon, young men with rakes and hoes worked to level the site of a new soccer field, saying the land had been a forest not long ago.
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For a shareable appetizer, try the SoHo Trio: butterbean and bacon hummus, pimento cheese, and hot crab dip served with peppers, pita, and hoe cakes.
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As the platform moves, hauled by a back hoe, the tubes in front will be deflated.
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Don't damage roots. Chopping with a hoe can slice tree and shrub roots.
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Use a type of weeder or hoe that skims below the soil surface, slicing weeds off at the roots, but doesn't turn over lots of soil.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of hoe
Middle English howe, from Anglo-French houe, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German houwa mattock, houwan to hew — more at hew
hoe
Definition of hoe
hoed
;hoeing
intransitive verb
: to work with a tool with a thin flat blade on a long handle to cultivate, weed, or loosen the earth around plants : to use or work with a hoe (see 1hoe) or backhoe hoeing in the garden all day
transitive verb
1 : to weed, cultivate, or thin (a crop) with a hoe (see 1hoe) hoeing carrots and turnips
2 : to remove (weeds) by hoeing
3 : to dress or cultivate (land) by hoeing The garden needs to be hoed.
Examples of hoe in a Sentence
The garden has to be hoed.
She was hoeing in the garden all day.
Recent Examples of hoe from the Web
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Thoreau – who lived in a hut, claimed a handful of belongings, wore unstylish clothes and a bad haircut, had no obvious chance at romance, and spent the day hoeing beans and looking at trees –
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So McConnell has a tough row to hoe, made worse by the terrible reviews his handiwork has gotten not only from CBO but from the general public.
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One morning this week, Markowski watched workers hoeing the rich soil between rows of tobacco beneath acres of tenting on his family's West Suffield farm.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hoe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of hoe
see 1hoe
Hoe
playDefinition of Hoe
Richard March 1812–1886 son of Robert Hoe American inventor
Hoe
Definition of Hoe
Robert 1784–1833 American (English-born) printing-press manufacturer
HOE Defined for English Language Learners
hoe
playDefinition of hoe for English Language Learners
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: a garden tool that has a flat blade on a long handle
hoe
Definition of hoe for English Language Learners
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: to work on (something, such as a garden or a crop) with a hoe
HOE Defined for Kids
Definition of hoe for Students
: a tool with a long handle and a thin flat blade used for weeding and cultivating
Definition of hoe for Students
hoed
;hoeing
: to weed or loosen the soil around plants with a hoe
Learn More about hoe
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See words that rhyme with hoe Spanish Central: Translation of hoe Nglish: Translation of hoe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of hoe for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hoe
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