horn

8 synonyms for horn, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

siren trumpet trump

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

klaxon hooter bugle cornet tusk

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos.

“The goat stood on the rock, its curved horns silhouetted against the sky.”

klaxon hooter bugle cornet siren trumpet trump

2. verb

To sound a vehicle's horn.

“The taxi driver horned twice as we stepped into the road.”

tusk

How to use horn

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

honk the horn blow a horn lock horns

Etymology

From Old English horn, from a Proto-Germanic root ultimately going back to a very old Indo-European word for "head" or "horn" — the same root that gives Latin cornu and Greek keras. The car/telephone sense comes from the horn-shaped mouthpieces of early sound equipment.

Full origin of horn →

Frequently asked questions

What does “horn” mean?

The word “horn” means a hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos. In plain terms, an animal's pointed head-growth, a brass musical instrument, or a vehicle's warning sound.

How do you pronounce “horn”?

“Horn” is pronounced hawn (/hɔɹn/ in IPA).

How do you use “horn” in a sentence?

Here is “horn” used in a sentence: “The bull lowered its horns and charged.”

What part of speech is “horn”?

Depending on how it is used, “horn” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “horn” come from?

The word “horn” comes from Latin.

Is “horn” a common word?

“Horn” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “horn” have?

“Horn” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos.

What is the difference between a horn and an antler?

A horn is a permanent, usually unbranched growth kept for life, as on cattle, goats, and rhinos. Antlers, found on deer, are branched and are shed and regrown each year, so the two are not the same structure.

What is the difference between a horn and a trumpet?

Horn is a broad category of brass wind instruments, while a trumpet is one particular type within that family. In an orchestra, 'the horn' usually refers to the French horn specifically.

What are common phrases and collocations with horn?

Common expressions include car horn, bull's horns, horn section, and 'blow' or 'honk the horn.' The plural is horns, and the word shifts between its animal, musical, and signalling senses depending on context.

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trump trumpet siren cornet hooter klaxon tusk bugle

Nearby words

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