horn
hawn
Horn (noun) means a hard, pointed growth on the head of certain animals, such as cattle, goats, or rhinos. Example: “The goat stood on the rock, its curved horns silhouetted against the sky.”
noun
1
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."
"The bull lowered its horns and charged."
"Rhino horn is prized illegally for its supposed medicinal value."
2
A brass wind instrument, or an instrument used to signal.
"Hunters in the story blew a horn to call the hounds back."
"She plays French horn in the orchestra."
"The referee blew the horn to end the match."
3
A device on a vehicle that makes a loud warning sound.
"The horn on my old van is so loud that it makes pedestrians jump."
"If a car swerves towards you, press the horn straight away."
"He honked the horn to warn the cyclist."
verb
1
To sound a vehicle's horn.
"The taxi driver horned twice as we stepped into the road."
"Cars were horning angrily at the cyclist blocking the lane."
"A driver horned at us to hurry up."
How to use horn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn animal's pointed head-growth, a brass musical instrument, or a vehicle's warning sound.
Common pairings
honk the horn
blow a horn
lock horns
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Word forms
- Plural
- horns
- Third person singular
- horns
- Past tense
- horned
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The goat stood on the rock, its curved _____ silhouetted against the sky.
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.
Related words
Rhymes for horn
See all rhymes for 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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