horn

horn (hôrn)

1. One of the hard, usually permanent structures projecting from the head of certain mammals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, or antelopes, consisting of a bony core covered with a sheath of keratinous material.

2. A hard protuberance, such as an antler or projection on the head of a giraffe or rhinoceros, that is similar to or suggestive of a horn.

a. The hard smooth keratinous material forming the outer covering of the horns of cattle or related animals.

b. A natural or synthetic substance resembling this material.

4. A container, such as a powder horn, made from a horn.

5. Something having the shape of a horn, especially:

a. A horn of plenty; a cornucopia.

b. Either of the ends of a new moon.

c. The point of an anvil.

d. The pommel of a saddle.

e. An ear trumpet.

f. A device for projecting sound waves, as in a loudspeaker.

g. A hollow, metallic electromagnetic transmission antenna with a circular or rectangular cross section.

6. Music

a. A wind instrument made of an animal horn.

b. A brass wind instrument, such as a trombone or tuba.

c. A French horn.

d. A wind instrument, such as a trumpet or saxophone, used in a jazz band.

a. A usually electrical signaling device that produces a loud resonant sound: an automobile horn.

b. Any of various noisemakers operated by blowing or by squeezing a hollow rubber ball.

8. Slang A telephone.

intr.v. horned, horn·ing, horns

To join without being invited; intrude. Used with in.

Idioms:

blow/toot (one's) own horn Informal

To brag or boast about oneself.

draw/haul/pull in (one's) horns Informal

1. To restrain oneself; draw back.

2. To retreat from a previously taken position, view, or stance.

3. To economize.

on the horns of a dilemma

Faced with two equally undesirable alternatives.

[Middle English, from Old English; see ker-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

horn adj.

hornist n.

horn

top: white rhinoceros

bottom: American bighorn ram

horn

Noun

1. either of a pair of permanent bony outgrowths on the heads of animals such as cattle and antelopes

2. any hornlike projection, such as the eyestalk of a snail

3. the antler of a deer

4. the hard substance of which horns are made

5. a musical wind instrument made from horn

6. any musical instrument consisting of a pipe or tube of brass fitted with a mouthpiece

7. a device, such as on a vehicle, for producing a warning or signalling noise [Old English]

horned adj

horn (hôrn)

1. Either of the bony growths projecting from the upper part of the head of certain hoofed mammals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The horns of these animals are never shed, and they consist of bone covered by keratin.

2. A hard growth that looks like a horn, such as an antler or a growth on the head of a giraffe or rhinoceros. Unlike true horns, antlers are shed yearly and have a velvety covering, and the horns of a rhinoceros are made not of bone but of hairy skin fused with keratin.

3. The hard durable substance that forms the outer covering of true horns. It consists of keratin.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	horn - a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud noise when you blow through it game - a contest with rules to determine a winner; "you need four people to play this game" noisemaker - a device (such as a clapper or bell or horn) used to make a loud noise at a celebration
	2.	horn - one of the bony outgrowths on the heads of certain ungulates antler - deciduous horn of a member of the deer family bull - uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle tup, ram - uncastrated adult male sheep; "a British term is `tup'" caprine animal, goat - any of numerous agile ruminants related to sheep but having a beard and straight horns bone, os - rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates appendage, outgrowth, process - a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant; "a bony process"
	3.	horn - a noise made by the driver of an automobile to give warning; alarum, warning signal, alarm, alert - an automatic signal (usually a sound) warning of danger
	4.	horn - a high pommel of a Western saddle (usually metal covered with leather) saddle horn saddlebow, pommel - handgrip formed by the raised front part of a saddle stock saddle, Western saddle - an ornamented saddle used by cowboys; has a high horn to hold the lariat
	5.	horn - a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of valves cornet, trumpet, trump brass instrument, brass - a wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) that is blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece serpent - an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake
	6.	horn - any hard protuberance from the head of an organism that is similar to or suggestive of a horn appendage, outgrowth, process - a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant; "a bony process"
	7.	horn - the material (mostly keratin) that covers the horns of ungulates and forms hooves and claws and nails ceratin, keratin - a fibrous scleroprotein that occurs in the outer layer of the skin and in horny tissues such as hair, feathers, nails, and hooves animal material - material derived from animals baleen, whalebone - a horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets tortoiseshell - the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles
	8.	horn - a device having the shape of a horn; "horns at the ends of a new moon"; "the hornof an anvil"; "the cleat had two horns" device - an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; "the device is small enough to wear on your wrist"; "a device intended to conserve water"
	9.	horn - an alarm device that makes a loud warning sound air horn - a pneumatic horn alarm system, warning device, alarm - a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event foghorn - a warning device consisting of a horn that generates a loud low tone claxon, klaxon - a kind of loud horn formerly used on motor vehicles shofar, shophar - an ancient musical horn made from the horn of a ram; used in ancient times by the Israelites to sound a warning or a summons; used in synagogues today on solemn occasions
	10.	horn - a brass musical instrument consisting of a conical tube that is coiled into a spiral and played by means of valves French horn brass instrument, brass - a wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) that is blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece
	11.	horn - a device on an automobile for making a warning noise automobile horn, car horn, motor horn, hooter alarm system, warning device, alarm - a device that signals the occurrence of some undesirable event auto, automobile, car, motorcar, machine - a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine; "he needs a car to get to work" horn button - a button that you press to activate the horn of an automobile
Verb	1.	horn - stab or pierce with a horn or tusk; "the rhino horned the explorer" tusk pierce, thrust - penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument