wahoo

1 of 4

noun (1)

wa·​hoo ˈwä-ˌhü 

ˈwȯ-

plural wahoos

: winged elm

wahoo

2 of 4

noun (2)

plural wahoos

: a shrubby spindle tree (Euonymus atropurpureus) of chiefly eastern North America that has purple capsules which in dehiscence expose scarlet-ariled seeds

called also burning bush

wahoo

3 of 4

noun (3)

plural wahoos

: a large vigorous mackerel (Acanthocybium solandri) that is common in warm seas and esteemed as a food and sport fish

wahoo

4 of 4

interjection

wa·​hoo ˈwä-ˈhü 

chiefly Western US

—used to express exuberance or enthusiasm or to attract attention

Synonyms

Interjection

• glory
• glory be
• ha
• hah
• hallelujah
• hey
• hooray
• hurrah
• hurray
• hot dog
• huzzah
• whee
• whoopee
• yahoo
• yippee

Examples of wahoo in a Sentence

Interjection

the rodeo rider shrieked, “Wahoo!” as he collected his prize money

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The team brought to the Sands Harbor Marina & Resort weigh-in station a 51-pound wahoo to take the biggest fish honors. —Emmett Hall, Sun Sentinel, 9 Nov. 2022

Other notable performances were by Joe Caracione of Wire Bender who reeled in a 46.6-pound wahoo. —Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, 27 Aug. 2020

The mascot’s origin comes from a local fish species called a wahoo, a highly valuable game fish. —USA Today, 24 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Dakota wãhu, from wã- arrow + hu wood

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1770, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1857, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Interjection

1904, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

wahoo

noun

wa·​hoo ˈwä-ˌhü 

plural wahoos

: a shrubby North American tree of the genus Euonymus (E. atropurpureus) having a root bark with cathartic properties compare euonymus sense 2