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| horn [ hawrn ] |
noun (plural horns) |
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| Definition: |
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1. automotive emergencies noise-making warning device: a device, e.g. in a car, that produces a loud noise as a warning or signal
(
often used in combination
)
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2. zoology projection on animal's head: either of two permanent pointed projections on the head of some animals such as cattle, sheep, and antelope, consisting of a sheath of hardened protein over bone
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3. zoology projection from nose of rhinoceros: a solid outgrowth of keratin and fused hair from the nasal bone of a rhinoceros
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4. zoology projection resembling horn: a hard, pointed, or horn-shaped projection on a bird, reptile, fish, insect, or other animal
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5. industry hard substance of horns: the hard substance that covers an animal's horns, consisting mainly of a tough protein keratin
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6. something made of horn: something made with a piece of horn or from a synthetic substance resembling it
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7. projection on devil's head: either of a pair of parts resembling an animal's horns supposed to grow on the head of the devil or a cuckold
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8. horn-shaped thing: something shaped like a horn, e.g. either of the tips of a crescent moon, the pommel of a saddle, or the pointed end of an anvil
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9. geography sharp peak: a sharp pyramid-shaped mountain peak
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10. geography horn-shaped area: a horn-shaped body of water or land
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11. music brass instrument: a wind instrument, usually made of brass, with a long tube whose flared end produces a sound when the player's lips vibrate together into the mouthpiece
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12. music wind instrument: any wind instrument used in a jazz band, especially a trumpet
(
informal
)
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13. music simple wind instrument: a simple or early musical instrument made from an animal's horn
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14. telecommunications
(
slang
)
Same as telephone
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verb (past and past participle horned, present participle horn·ing, 3rd person present singular horns) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive verb provide something with horns: to give something a horn or horns
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2. transitive verb attack somebody with horns: to butt or gore somebody with the horns
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3. transitive verb U.S. cuckold somebody: to make a cuckold of somebody by having a sexual relationship with that person's spouse or partner
(
informal
)
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4. intransitive verb Malaysia blow car horn: to cause a car horn to make a warning sound
  Don't horn at other drivers except in an emergency.
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| [ Old English, < Indo-European, "horn, head"] |
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| horn·less adjective |
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blow your own horn to speak confidently, proudly, or boastfully about your own achievements, qualities, or possessions (informal)
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pull in your horns
1. to spend or invest less money than usual or before
2. to adopt a less active or less assertive position
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lock horns (with somebody) to engage in an argument or quarrel with somebody
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on the horns of a dilemma faced with making a decision between two things or two courses of action, each of which is problematic or unattractive
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| Word History |
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The Indo-European word from which horn is ultimately derived, is also the ancestor of English carrot, corn2, cornea, corner, cornet, cranium, ginger, hart, hornet, keratin, rhinoceros, and triceratops.
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