I. ˌFrench ˈhorn BrE AmE ( also horn especially British English ) noun [countable]
a musical instrument made of ↑ brass , that is curved round into a circle with a wide opening at one end
II. horn 1 /hɔːn $ hɔːrn/ BrE AmE noun
[ Language: Old English ]
1 . ANIMAL
a) [countable] the hard pointed thing that grows, usually in pairs, on the heads of animals such as cows and goats ⇨ antlers
b) [uncountable] the substance that animals’ horns are made of:
a knife with a horn handle
c) [countable] a part of an animal’s head that sticks out like a horn, for example on a ↑ snail
2 . ON A CAR [countable] the thing in a vehicle that you use to make a loud sound as a signal or warning
sound/toot/honk/blow your horn (=make a noise with your horn)
3 . MUSICAL INSTRUMENT [countable]
a) a musical instrument like a long metal tube that is wide at one end, that you play by blowing
b) informal a ↑ trumpet
c) a ↑ French horn
d) a musical instrument made from an animal’s horn ⇨ ↑ English horn
4 . drinking horn/powder horn etc a container in the shape of an animal’s horn, used in the past for drinking from, carrying ↑ gunpowder etc
5 . draw/pull in your horns to reduce the amount of money you spend
6 . be on the horns of a dilemma to be in a situation in which you have to choose between two equally unpleasant or difficult situations
⇨ blow your own trumpet/horn at ↑ blow 1 (21), ⇨ lock horns at ↑ lock 1 (6), ⇨ take the bull by the horns at ↑ bull 1 (3)
III. horn 2 BrE AmE verb
horn in phrasal verb American English informal
to interrupt or try to take part in something when you are not wanted SYN butt in
horn in on
Don’t try and horn in on our fun.