hɔ:s n. & v. --n. 1 a a solid-hoofed plant-eating
quadruped, Equus caballus,
with flowing mane and tail, used
for riding and to
carry and
pull loads. b an
adult male horse; a
stallion or
gelding. c
any other four-legged
mammal of
the genus Equus, including
asses and zebras. d (collect.; as sing.)
cavalry. e a
representation of a horse. 2 a vaulting-block. 3 a supporting
frame esp. with legs (clothes-horse). 4 sl.
heroin. 5 colloq. a
unit of
horsepower. 6 Naut. any of
various ropes and bars. 7 Mining an
obstruction in a
vein. --v. 1 intr. (foll. by around) fool
about. 2 tr.
provide (a
person or vehicle) with a horse or horses. 3 intr. mount or go on
horseback. øfrom the horse's
mouth (of
information etc.)
from the person
directly concerned or
another authoritative source. horse-and-buggy US old-fashioned,
bygone. horse-block a
small platform of
stone or
wood for
mounting a horse. horse-brass see
BRASS. horse-breaker
one who breaks in horses. horse
chestnut 1 any
large ornamental tree of the genus Aesculus, with
upright conical clusters of
white or
pink or
red flowers. 2 the
dark brown fruit of
this (like an
edible chestnut, but with a
coarse bitter taste). horse-cloth a
cloth used to
cover a horse, or as
part of
its trappings. horse-coper a horse-dealer. horse-doctor a
veterinary surgeon attending horses. horse-drawn (of a vehicle) pulled by a horse or horses. Horse Guards 1 (in the UK) the cavalry
brigade of the
household troops. 2 the
headquarters of
such cavalry, esp. a
building in
Whitehall. horse latitudes a
belt of calms in
each hemisphere between the
trade winds and the westerlies. horse-mackerel any large fish of the
mackerel type, e.g. the
scad or the
tunny. horse-mushroom a large edible
mushroom, Agaricus arvensis. horse opera US sl. a
western film. horse-pistol a
pistol for
use by a
horseman. horse-pond a
pond for
watering and
washing horses,
proverbial as a
place for ducking
obnoxious persons. horse-race a race between horses with riders. horse-racing the
sport of conducting horse-races. horse
sense colloq. plain
common sense. horses for courses the matching of tasks and talents. horse's
neck sl. a
drink of flavoured
ginger ale usu. with spirits. horse-soldier a
soldier mounted on a horse. horse-trading 1 US dealing in horses. 2
shrewd bargaining. to horse! (as a command) mount
your horses. øøhorseless adj. horselike adj. [OE hors f. Gmc]