noun
greenhorn
GREEN-hawrn
noun
1
A person who is new to a job, activity, or situation and lacks experience.
"As a greenhorn on the ranch, he had a lot to learn about handling cattle."
"The veteran cops teased the greenhorn about his first day nerves."
How to Use Greenhorn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone new and inexperienced at something, especially a job.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
a real greenhorn
greenhorn mistake
Word Forms
greenhorns plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “greenhorn”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
As a _____ on the ranch, he had a lot to learn about handling cattle.
Etymology
From Middle English grene horn, originally referring to the fresh horn of a recently killed young animal — "green" here means young or fresh, not the colour.