horse

\ ˈhȯrs

plural horses also horse

Definition of horse

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a(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

2a : 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

from the horse's mouth

: from the original source

horse

verb

horsed; horsing

Definition of horse (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to provide with a horse (see horse sense 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

horse

adjective

Definition of horse (Entry 3 of 3)

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

Other Words from horse Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about horse

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Examples of horse in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun This also increased the price of oats for horses, who were the main transportation source at the time, according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Why a volcanic eruption caused a 'year without a summer' in 1816," 17 Sep. 2019 Vaccines are also available for horses, cattle, and sheep. — Iris Katz, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Pet Wise: Rabies represents a continued threat in Carroll County, even in 2019," 13 Sep. 2019 According to the release, his focus will be enforcing and implementing global best practices to ensure safety standards for horses and riders. — Courier Journal, The Courier-Journal, "Breeders' Cup president leaving to join The Stronach Group," 13 Sep. 2019 Also stolen was a Remington bronze statue of a cowboy on a horse that had been sitting on top of the safe. — La Cañada Valley Sun, "Crime Report: Burglars make off with 11 firearms in quick raid of Crown Avenue home," 11 Sep. 2019 Wallops Island—a remote, marshy spit of land along the eastern shore of Virginia, near a famed national refuge for horses—is mostly known as a launch site for government and private rockets. — The Atlantic, "Coming Soon to a Battlefield: Robots That Can Kill," 3 Sep. 2019 The celebration of all-things-polo is also an all-ages music event and fundraiser that aims to expand the sport’s reach while helping nonprofits that adopt and care for horses (via the Equine Partnership Program). — John Wenzel, The Know, "Love horsesand EDM? Get a little of both at this weekend’s PoloFest," 30 Aug. 2019 After the loss of Watkins Glen, Lang and his partners tried to move to another racetrack — this one for horses — in Vernon, a town 35 miles east of Syracuse with a population of about 5,000. — Ben Sisario, New York Times, "The Disastrous Woodstock 50: What Went Wrong?," 1 Aug. 2019 The track set up misting fans in the paddock and saddling areas for the 14-race card, and there were plans for shorter post parades before the race starts to limit track time for the horses. — Jennifer Peltz, Anchorage Daily News, "Hot weather is intensifying hold on much of East, Central US," 20 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Don’t allow any compromises to horse and jockey safety. — Los Angeles Times, "Racing! Readers have advice for Craig Fravel," 19 Sep. 2019 In that case, shipments got mixed up and cattle feed was delivered to horse barns. — Los Angeles Times, "Justify failed drug test because of contaminated feed, California racing board says," 12 Sep. 2019 Tom Wolfe’s subjects ranged from Hugh Hefner to Chuck Yeager to horse breeding to the social life of Miami retirement homes. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, "James Bagehot: The Great Victorian Journalist," 12 Sep. 2019 The horse vaccination program is limited to the Merrimack Valley for now, but the MSPCA will look to expand its services to horse owners elsewhere based on need and available resources. — Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, "MSPCA launches emergency EEE vaccination clinic after five horses die in 10 days," 30 Aug. 2019 The bonus account is funded by a percentage of slots revenue allocated to horse racing and by a cut of overall betting at the tracks. — Doug Donovan, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland horse racing commission dominated by industry players. They manage cash awards -- and win them.," 22 Aug. 2019 But, step by step, her brand of fascism gets Trojan-horsed into viral celebrity. — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, "“Years and Years” Forces Us Into the Future," 22 July 2019 On Wednesday the National Veterinary Services Laboratory reported positive test results on samples submitted from two Weld County horses at different locations. — Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post, "Two horses in Weld County test positive for vesicular stomatitis; first known 2019 cases in the state," 5 July 2019 Although this vehicle was never officially part of the USPS fleet, a handful of carriers relied on the Model-T Snowbird attachment kit to plod along snowy routes, providing an alternative to horse and sleigh. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "12 Geeky Ways to Deliver Mail: U.S. Postal Service Technology Through the Ages," 18 Jan. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective While horse deaths nationwide have been on the decline -- from 790 racehorses in 2009 to 493 last year, according to the Jockey Club -- Santa Anita's numbers have fluctuated over the years. — Eliott C. Mclaughlin, CNN, "29 horses have died at Santa Anita this season. It's nowhere near the track's deadliest year -- not by a long shot," 11 June 2019 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

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.