hoe

noun \ ˈhō \

|Updated on: 30 Jul 2018

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

The hoe-down vittles were prepared by Miguel Gomez, head chef and owner of Dearmore BBQ, a Santa Maria style barbecue.

— jane napier neely, latimes.com, "The Valley Line: Club wrangles members into the Saddle & Sirloin Club for annual summer party," 9 July 2018
With Scorpion, music is a game for men and women are relegated to being hoes or moms.

— refinery29.com, "Album Review: Drake Is Upset On Scorpion. Women Should Be Upset About Scorpion.," 2 July 2018
Texas Nursery and Landscape donated a back hoe and operator.

— vincent t. davis, San Antonio Express-News, "Historian and UTSA archaeologists discover remains at forgotten African American burial site," 18 June 2018
Donations to the project can include seeds, fertilizer and tools such as hoes.

— jacob mcadams, Houston Chronicle, "Impact Center creating vegetable garden to feed community," 19 Mar. 2018
Dull spades, floppy pruners and beat up hoes can turn even the most even-tempered gardener into an ogre.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "It's not quite time to get dirty in the garden. So clean your tools instead. Here's how.," 9 Mar. 2018
The monthly music sessions presented in the Indiana Dunes Visitors Center auditorium have been called a number of things — a hoe-down, toe-tappin’ fun and a folk music show, to name a few.

— sue ellen ross, Post-Tribune, "Toe-tappin' audiences enjoy Dunes folk music series," 25 June 2018
Barber, himself, was the first to get behind the wheel of a track hoe to start the demolition process.

— john sharp, AL.com, "In Mobile, 'hope' comes to property once known for drug dealing," 30 Apr. 2018
Thousands of responses flooded in last week after a journalist reporting on farming in northwestern Spain posted on Instagram a picture of Dolores Leis dressed in farm clothing with a hoe over her shoulder.

— Washington Post, "For Trump lookalike, crops mean more than social media fame," 25 Apr. 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Agriculture/Gardening Terms

fallow, graft, heirloom, loam, potash, soilage, swath, tilth, windfall

hoe

verb

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