horse

1 of 3

noun

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
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 geologic 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 adjective
horselike adjective

Illustration of horse

Illustration of horse
  • 1 dock
  • 2 croup
  • 3 point of hip
  • 4 loin
  • 5 back
  • 6 withers
  • 7 mane
  • 8 crest
  • 9 poll
  • 10 forelock
  • 11 forehead
  • 12 muzzle
  • 13 cheek
  • 14 throatlatch
  • 15 neck
  • 16 shoulder
  • 17 chest
  • 18 forearm
  • 19 knee
  • 20 cannon
  • 21 fetlock
  • 22 hoof
  • 23 chestnut
  • 24 elbow
  • 25 barrel
  • 26 flank
  • 27 stifle
  • 28 pastern
  • 29 coronet
  • 30 hock
  • 31 gaskin
  • 32 tail
  • 33 thigh
  • 34 buttock

horse

2 of 3

verb

horsed; horsing

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 actionBruce Catton

intransitive verb

of a mare : to be in heat or estrus

horse

3 of 3

adjective

1
a
: 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
Phrases
from the horse's mouth
: from the original source

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
That single change boosts the mill’s output from a respectable 400 hp and 410 ft lbs of torque, to a ridiculous 700 horses and 590 ft lbs of twist. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024 Shortly after, a horse is found mysteriously dripping blood across its face; Arlo ventures into the woods and returns, changed, speaking about the danger that lies ahead; a stranger in a gas mask spray-paints a blue line across town and offers warnings through cryptic messages on a whiteboard. Andrés Buenahora, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Also, in the case of multi-horse wagers, there can be a consolation payoff if nobody has a perfect ticket. Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 24 Jan. 2023 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, 11 June 2019 See all Example Sentences for horse 

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

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

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of horse was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near horse

Cite this Entry

“Horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horse. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

horse

1 of 2 noun
plural horses also horse
1
a
: a large hoofed grazing domestic mammal that is used to carry or draw loads and for riding
b
: a male horse : stallion
2
a
: a frame that supports something (as wood while being cut)
b
: a piece of gymnasium equipment used for balancing and swinging movements or for vaulting exercises
3
horse plural : cavalry
horse adjective

horse

2 of 2 verb
horsed; horsing
: to provide with a horse

Medical Definition

horse

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

More from Merriam-Webster on horse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!