hose

1 of 2

noun

ˈhōz 

plural hose or hoses

1

plural hose

a(1)

: a cloth leg covering that sometimes covers the foot

(2)

: stocking, sock

b(1)

: a close-fitting garment covering the legs and waist that is usually attached to a doublet by points

(2)

: short breeches reaching to the knee

2

: a flexible tube for conveying fluids (as from a faucet or hydrant)

hose

2 of 2

verb

hosed; hosing

transitive verb

1

a

: to spray, water, or wash with a hose

—often used with down

hose down a stable floor

b

slang : to fire automatic weapons at

—usually used with down

2

slang : to deprive of something due or expected : trick, cheat

Synonyms

Noun

• sock
• stocking

Verb

• beat
• bilk
• bleed
• cheat
• chisel
• chouse
• con
• cozen
• defraud
• diddle
• do
• do in
• euchre
• fiddle
• fleece
• flimflam
• gaff
• hustle
• mulct
• nobble [British slang]
• pluck
• ream
• rip off
• rook
• screw
• shake down
• short
• shortchange
• skin
• skunk
• squeeze
• stick
• stiff
• sting
• sucker
• swindle
• thimblerig
• victimize

Examples of hose in a Sentence

Noun

There are several hoses stored in the shed.

We need another 50 feet of hose.

Verb

when the guy failed to return with our money, we realized that we had been hosed

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Firefighters were able to get hose around its entire perimeter quickly and stopped its forward progress by 2:14 p.m. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 5 May 2025

Place the cardboard directly on top and soak it with the hose. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2025

Verb

For weeks afterward, Arnold was subjected to daily rounds of extremely painful debridement procedures, which involved being hosed down with chemicals designed to dissolve damaged and dead tissue to prevent infections. —Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2025

And then there’s Bill Dillon, who wrote his first song on a roll of toilet paper after being hosed down and sent to solitary back in the 1980s. —Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hosa stocking, husk; akin to Old High German hosa leg covering

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hose

• fire hose
• garden hose
• panty hose
• support hose
• trunk hose

Rhymes for hose

• blows
• brose
• chose
• cloze
• cose
• crows
• doughs
• doze
• floes
• flows
• foes
• froze

Kids Definition

hose

1 of 2 noun

ˈhōz 

1

plural hose

a

: stocking, sock

b

: a close-fitting garment covering the legs and waist worn by men in about 1600

c

: short pants reaching to the knee

2

plural hose or hoses : a flexible tube for carrying fluid

hose

2 of 2 verb

hosed; hosing

: to spray, water, or wash with a hose