horse

HORS/hoɹs/HAWS/hɔːs/

34 meanings of horse

1
the animalnouncountable or uncountable
A large animal with hooves, a mane and a long tail that people ride or use to pull things.
The horse galloped across the open field.
Farmers once used horses to plow their fields.
UsageSay ride a horse and get on a horse.
Note
2
engine powernouncolloquialcountable
A unit of horsepower, used to say how strong an engine is, mostly in the plural.
My uncle's truck has over 400 horses under the hood.
They put a 300-horse engine in that little car.
UsageSay 450 horses or 450 horsepower.
Similarhorsepower
Note
3
mounted soldiersnoununcountable
Soldiers who fight while riding on horseback, thought of as one group.
The general ordered the horse to charge the enemy line.
A thousand horse waited beyond the ridge at dawn.
UsageSay light horse for soldiers; horses means the animals.
Similarcavalry
Oppositeinfantry, foot
Note

Less common meanings

4
meatnoununcountable
The meat of a horse, eaten as food.
Some restaurants in Europe still have horse on the menu.
He had never tasted horse before that trip abroad.
UsageSay eat horse, like eat beef.
Note
5
mess aboutverbintransitive
To play in a rough, silly way.
The kids love to horse around in the pool all summer.
They were horsing around near the stairs when one of them slipped.
UsageSay horse around: stop horsing around.
Similarfool, mess, clown, play
Note
6
gymnasticsnouncountable or uncountable
In gymnastics, a padded block on legs that athletes jump over or swing on.
He sprinted and leaped over the horse during practice.
The coach lowered the horse for the younger gymnasts.
Note
7
work standnouncountable or uncountable
A wooden or metal stand with legs used to hold something up.
He set the board on a horse before sawing it.
Workers stacked the planks across several horses.
UsageMostly in sawhorse and clothes horse.
Similartrestle
Note
8
chess knightnouncolloquialcountable or uncountable
In chess, a casual name for the knight, the piece shaped like a horse's head.
He moved his horse to fork the king and rook.
She lost both horses early in the chess game.
Similarknight
Note
9
strong personnounslangcountable or uncountable
A big, strong person who can do hard physical work.
Her brother is such a horse that he carried the couch alone.
The team's center is a real horse on the court.
UsageSay she's a real horse; it is praise.
Similarpowerhouse, workhorse, ox
Oppositeweakling
Note
10
basketball gamenounUScountable or uncountable
A basketball game where players copy each other's shots, and each miss adds a letter to the word horse.
We played horse on the driveway until it got dark.
She beat her brother at horse three times in a row.
UsageSay play horse, with no a or the.
Note
11
move by forceverbtransitive
To pull or move something heavy using a lot of force.
They horse the logs onto the truck by hand.
He horsed the engine block across the garage.
Similarhaul, heave, drag, lug, muscle
Note
12
illegal drugnounslanguncountable
A slang name for heroin, a strong, addictive drug, especially when it is sold illegally.
He got hooked on horse after leaving the army.
The dealer was caught selling horse near the station.
UsageSay a kilo of horse.
Similarsmack, junk, dope, H, scag
Note
13
verbtransitive
To sit on something with one leg on each side.
Stalls, bulks, windows / Are smothered up, leads filled, and ridges horsed / With variable complexions, all agreeing / In earnestness to see him.
1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”Here, horsed means sat on with legs on each side, as people straddle rooftops.
Similarstraddle, bestride
Note
14
supply mountsverbtransitive
To give someone a horse to ride or use.
The army horsed every officer before the long campaign.
Wealthy patrons would horse the young knights for tournaments.
Similarmount
Note
15
verbtransitive
To mate with a female horse.
Similarcover, serve, mount
16
eat fastverbcolloquialtransitive
To stuff food into your mouth quickly, carelessly, or in large amounts.
The Spaniards spend generations honing the subtle flavours of their delightful tapas and you're horsing it into your mouth as though it was a fried egg roll with brown sauce.'
2012, Anna Smith, To Tell the Truth: Rosie Gilmour 2
UsageOften with into: horse food into your mouth.
Similarwolf, gobble, bolt, devour, scarf
Note
17
verbtransitive
To carry someone or something on your back.
keepers, horsing the deer
c. 1667, Samuel Butler, CharactersHere, horsing means carrying on their backs, so the keepers carry the deer.
Similarcarry, piggyback
Note
18
xiangqi piecenouncountable or uncountable
A piece in Chinese chess that moves one step straight and then one step diagonally.
Like the knight in regular chess, but it can be blocked by a nearby piece.
She moved her horse to threaten the enemy cannon.
The horse can be blocked by a piece sitting directly beside it.
Note
19
poker playernounslangcountable or uncountable
A poker player whose buy-in was paid by someone else, who then takes a share of the winnings.
She played the tournament as someone's horse and split her prize money.
Every backer wants a horse who plays carefully under pressure.
Note
20
corrupt guardnounslangcountable or uncountable
A prison guard who secretly brings banned items in or out for prisoners.
Inmates paid the horse to bring in cigarettes and phones.
Everyone on the block knew which guard was the horse if you needed drugs brought in.
Note
21
punishment framenounhistoricalcountable or uncountable
A wooden frame shaped like a horse that soldiers had to sit on as a punishment.
Like being forced to sit on a sharp wooden beam for hours so everyone could see you were being punished.
The sergeant made the drunken recruit sit on the wooden horse for an hour.
Soldiers feared the horse far more than the lash.
Note
22
whip as punishmentverbtransitive
To beat someone with a whip as a punishment.
[N]otwithstanding the intercession of his governor, who begged earnestly that his punishment might be mitigated, our unfortunate hero was publickly horsed, in terrorem of all whom it might concern.
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle
Similarflog, whip, lash
Note
23
verbdatedtransitive
To force someone to work very hard by bullying and pushing them without rest.
Similardrive, push, bully, hound
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24
noundatedcountable or uncountable
A secret translation or other cheat that a student uses to get through lessons or tests.
Similarcrib, pony
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25
noundatedcountable or uncountable
Rough, silly play or fooling around, especially among young people.
Similartomfoolery, mischief, shenanigans
Note
26
verbdatedintransitive
To cheat on schoolwork by using a secret translation or other banned help.
Similarcheat, crib
Note
27
miningnouncountable or uncountable
In mining, a lump of rock or earth that breaks up a vein of coal or ore.
Like a big stone stuck in the middle of a loaf, splitting it in two.
The miners hit a horse that split the coal seam in two.
Drilling stopped when they ran into a large horse of barren rock.
Note
28
noun
Any animal of the horse family, living or extinct, including zebras and donkeys.
29
noun
A rope under a sail beam that sailors stand on.
30
noun
A chest strap that keeps a sailor safe while he measures water depth.
31
noun
A metal bar on a boat that a sail fitting slides along.
32
noun
A rope or bar on a ship that a sail is tied to.
33
verbobsolete
To climb up and sit on a horse for a ride.
He horsed himself well.
1888, Rudyard Kipling, Cupid's Arrows
34
verbdated
To ask for pay for work that is not done yet.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of horse apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–4, 6–10, 18–21, 24–25, 27

From Old English "hors," going back through Germanic roots, probably to an ancient word meaning "to run."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The noun derives from Old English hors through earlier Germanic forms. en.wiktionary.org
Its probable ultimate origin is a root meaning 'to run'. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 11, 13–17, 22–23, 26

From the Old English verb "horsian," meaning to provide with horses, built from the noun "horse."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb horse derives from Old English horsian. en.wiktionary.org
Old English horsian meant to provide with horses. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English verb was formed from the noun meaning horse. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 12

Origin unknown, but probably criminal slang based on the first letter of "heroin."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The origin of horse meaning heroin is unknown. en.wiktionary.org
The term probably originated as criminal slang based on the first letter of heroin. en.wiktionary.org