horse

play

noun \ ˈhȯrs \

Definition of horse

plural horses also horse

1 a (1) :a large solid-hoofed herbivorous ungulate mammal (Equus caballus, family Equidae, the horse family) domesticated since prehistoric times and used as a beast of burden, a draft animal, or for riding

(2) :racehorse

lost a lot of money playing the horses

b :a male horse; especially :stallion

c :a recent or extinct animal (such as a zebra, ass, or onager) of the horse family

2 a :jackstay

b :a frame usually with legs used for supporting something (such as planks or staging) :sawhorse

c (1) gymnastics :pommel horse

(2) gymnastics :vaulting horse

3 horse plural :cavalry

4 geology :a mass of the same geological character as the wall rock that occurs within a vein of useful mineral matter

5 :horsepower

a car with 275 horses

6 slang :heroin

7 :an athlete whose performance is consistently strong and reliable

a team with the horses to win the pennant

8 or H-O-R-S-E :a game in which players take turns attempting to duplicate successful basketball shots, a letter of the word "horse" is awarded for each missed attempt, and the first player to receive all five letters loses

—

horseless

play \ˈhȯr-sləs\ adjective

—

horselike

play \ˈhȯrs-ˌlīk\ adjective

— from the horse's mouth

:from the original source

See horse defined for English-language learners

See horse defined for kids

Examples of horse in a Sentence

a car with 275 horses
He lost a lot of money on the horses.

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Rettig gets around in his SUV, not a horse and buggy.

— jay jones, chicagotribune.com, "Turn back the clock and spend quality time in Iowa's Amana Colonies," 30 Aug. 2017
Khosrowshahi emerged as the dark horse in that process, beating out more well known candidates such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s Meg Whitman and General Electric’s Jeffrey Immelt.

— hui-yong yu, The Seattle Times, "Expedia CEO says running Uber is `opportunity of a lifetime’," 29 Aug. 2017
The hotel, a 27-room Elizabethan manor house in Devon, overlooks a horse farm and the rolling hills of Otter Valley.

— Condé Nast Traveler, "The PIG at Combe," 25 Aug. 2017
In the statue that dates back to 1913, Castleman is shown wearing equestrian clothing atop a horse to honor his role in founding the American Saddlebred Horse Association.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Controversy around Castleman statue in Cherokee Triangle continues with Saturday protest," 19 Aug. 2017
In it, the Sol Capital Advisory strategist discusses the previous day’s events, economic numbers published or due, and pours scorn on hobby horses including the European Union, central banks and politicians.

— john glover, Bloomberg.com, "New EU Market Rules Could Kill Brokers’ Morning Notes," 14 Aug. 2017
Having lost most of his men during a confrontation with the Dothraki, Daenerys, and Drogon, Jaime Lannister took to his horse with one last desperate idea in mind.

— joanna robinson, vanityfair.com, "Game of Thrones:," 6 Aug. 2017
The kindness heartens Lucy, even if its recipient is a horse.

— Longreads, "And How Much of These Hills Is Gold," 3 Aug. 2017
The second of a pair of horses that disappeared after flash flooding inundated a pasture in south Overland Park was found dead Monday in the Blue River.

— rick montgomery, kansascity, "Second horse missing since Overland Park flood is found dead," 31 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'horse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Illustration of horse

Origin and Etymology of horse

Middle English hors, from Old English; akin to Old High German hros horse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

horse Synonyms

Synonyms

equine, nag, steed

Related Words

equid; colt, filly, foal, gelding, mare, stallion; bronco, mustang, pony; charger, courser, cow pony, cutting horse, galloper, hack, hackney, mount, packhorse, prancer, quarter horse, racehorse, saddle horse, trotter, warhorse, workhorse; bay, black, buckskin, chestnut, dun, palomino, pinto, roan, skewbald, sorrel; cob, dobbin, jade, plug, skate

Other Equestrian Terms

canter, cantle, curry, farrier, hunter, paddock, router, skirt, tack

horse

verb

Definition of horse

horsed; horsing

transitive verb

1 :to provide with a horse (see horse 1a(1))

horsing a coach

a horsed vehicle

2 :to move by brute force

sweating gunners horsed their pieces into action
—Bruce Catton

intransitive verb

of a mare :to be in heat or estrus

See horse defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Back in the Saddle, a Western-themed catalog that caters to horse lovers, is one of many that carry the Gentiluccis creations.

— j. harry jones, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Animals and angels: garden stone artwork made in Ramona," 20 July 2017
Horse racing alone generated 283 billion yen ($2.6 billion) for the central government in fiscal 2015.

— isabel reynolds, Bloomberg.com, "Gambling Addiction Can No Longer Be Ignored in Japan's Casino Push," 7 June 2017
In addition to geographical distance, there’s the lure of other lovers, Ray’s heart condition, Abby’s addiction to horse riding and, for a time, to a dangerous cocktail of sleeping pills and alcohol.

— lou fancher, The Mercury News, "In ‘Use of Fame,’ Berkeley author looks at love from both sides," 31 May 2017
Two bills in the House and one in the Senate attempt to resolve that issue, but each faces hurdles as the legislation touches many powerful lobbying interests, from casino operators to horse racetrack owners.

— kim geiger, chicagotribune.com, "Plan to tax, regulate fantasy sports industry emerges in Springfield," 30 May 2017
When Stuper, 60, sees rangy center fielder Tim DeGraw taking fly balls in batting practice, rather than just horsing around, he's reminded that McGee did the same thing.

— dom amore, courant.com, "Stuper Has Been At Yale 25 Years, But He’s Still A St. Louis Cardinal At Heart," 27 May 2017
He and some teammates were just horsing around, jawing back and forth the way competitive college athletes do.

— thuc nhi nguyen, Orange County Register, "UCLA’s Fabian Moreau lives up to NFL draft prediction," 23 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of horse

see ¹horse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

horse

adjective

Definition of horse

1 a :of or relating to a horse (see horse 1a(1))

a horse farm

b :hauled or powered by a horse

a horse barge

2 :large or coarse of its kind

3 :mounted on horses

horse guards

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Horse hooves thunder down green acres as mallets clank against polo balls in the setting sun.

— elisabeth moughon, The Courier-Journal, "An elegant, nitty-gritty look at the Louisville Polo Club," 27 July 2017
Horse races were canceled at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and the Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress.

— mark gomez, The Mercury News, "California storm: More rain and wind on the way," 18 Feb. 2017

Origin and Etymology of horse

see ¹horse

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

Other Equestrian Terms

canter, cantle, curry, farrier, hunter, paddock, router, skirt, tack

HORSE Defined for English Language Learners

horse

play

noun

Definition of horse for English Language Learners

: a large animal that is used for riding and for carrying and pulling things
: a frame used to support a piece of wood while it is being cut with a saw
: a large piece of equipment used in gymnastics

HORSE Defined for Kids

horse

play

noun \ ˈhȯrs \

Definition of horse for Students

1 :a large hoofed animal that feeds especially on grasses and is used as a work animal and for riding

2 :a frame that supports something (as wood while being cut)

3 :a piece of gymnasium equipment used for vaulting exercises

— from the horse's mouth

:from the original source

Medical Dictionary

horse

play

noun \ ˈhȯ(ə)rs \

medical Definition of horse

plural horses also horse

:a large solid-hoofed herbivorous mammal of the genus Equus (E. caballus) domesticated since prehistoric times

Illustration of horse

Learn More about horse

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for horse Spanish Central: Translation of horse Nglish: Translation of horse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of horse for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about horse

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horse

Definition of horse

horseless

horselike

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of horse in a Sentence

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Illustration of horse

Origin and Etymology of horse

horse Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Other Equestrian Terms

horse

Definition of horse

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Origin and Etymology of horse

horse

Definition of horse

Recent Examples of horse from the Web

Origin and Etymology of horse

Other Equestrian Terms

HORSE Defined for English Language Learners

horse

Definition of horse for English Language Learners

HORSE Defined for Kids

horse

Definition of horse for Students

Medical Dictionary

horse

medical Definition of horse

Illustration of horse

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