horseshoe

1 of 2

noun (1)

horse·​shoe ˈhȯrs-ˌshü 

ˈhȯrsh-

1

: a usually U-shaped band of iron fitted and nailed to the rim of a horse's hoof to protect it

2

: something (such as a valley) shaped like a horseshoe

3

horseshoes plural : a game like quoits played with horseshoes or with horseshoe-shaped pieces of metal

horseshoe transitive verb

horseshoer

ˈhȯrs-ˌshü-ər 

ˈhȯrsh-

noun

horseshoer

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one who makes horseshoes or shoes horses

specifically : blacksmith sense 1b

Examples of horseshoe in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The lake was a horseshoe surrounded by tall pine trees.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The ruby, diamond, and sapphire brooch is crafted in the shape of a horseshoe, and she’s worn it multiple times over the years. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026

Rulber’s Restaurant leans heavily on the ranchero theme, with horseshoes repeated on its walls and in the logo. — Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026

Early in their time on set, the players got a bit wild, knocked down some cornstalks and were forced to play cards and horseshoes away from the field in their spare time. — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

In fact, the horseshoe-theory thesis of One Night Only seems to be that the mandate is actually doing more good than harm. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing horseshoe

• horseshoe arch
• horseshoe crab

Rhymes for horseshoe

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

horseshoe

noun

horse·​shoe ˈhȯrs-ˌshü 

ˈhȯrsh-

1

: a usually U-shaped band of iron shaped and nailed to the rim of a horse's hoof

2

: something shaped like a horseshoe

3

plural : a game in which horseshoes are tossed at a stake in the ground

horseshoe verb

horseshoer noun