I. ˈhȯ(ə)rn, ˈhȯ(ə)n noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German & Old Norse horn, Gothic haurn, Latin cornu horn, cerebrum brain, Greek keras horn, Sanskrit śṛṅga
1.
a.
(1) : one of the paired bony processes that arise from the upper part of the head of many ungulate mammals, that function chiefly as weapons, and that in cattle and related forms are usually present in both sexes and are unbranched and permanent with a bony core anchored to the skull and a sheath of horn and in deer are solid deciduous bony outgrowths usually branching and usually present only in the male — see antler; cow illustration
(2) : a horned animal
(3) : a part like an animal's horn attributed to a divine or supernatural being and especially to the devil
b. : a natural projection or excrescence from an animal that resembles or suggests a horn: as
(1) : a projection (as the casque of a hornbill) from the beak of a bird
(2) : a tuft of feathers on the head of a bird (as a horned owl)
(3) : a projection from the head or thorax of an insect or from the head of a reptile or fish
(4) : a sharp spine in front of the fins of a fish (as a horned pout)
(5) : one of the tentacles of a snail
c.
(1) : the tough fibrous material derived from epithelial tissue and consisting chiefly of keratin with which the horns of cattle and related animals are covered
(2) : any similar substance (as that which forms the hoof crust of horses, sheep, cattle)
(3) : a manufactured product (as a plastic resembling horn)
(4) : a bow tip made of horn into which the bowstring nock is cut
(5) : horn spoon 2
d. : the hollow horn of an animal used as a drinking cup
handed him a horn filled with red Chilean wine — Time
or for holding other liquid or substance (as ink or powder); also : drink
did sometimes take a horn when he thought it would do him good — Atlantic
e. : cornucopia
2. : something resembling or suggestive of a horn: as
a. : one of the curved ends of a crescent ; especially : a cusp of the moon when crescent-shaped
b.
(1) : a body of land or water shaped like a horn
(2) : a sharp peak in a rugged mountain region
c.
(1) : a horn-shaped part of a device or mechanism (as a blacksmith's anvil or a horning press) ; specifically : a part of a shoemaking machine over which a shoe is placed when being tacked, nailed, pegged, and in some instances sewed
(2) : one of the outer ends of a ship's crosstrees ; also : one of the points of the jaws of a gaff or boom
(3) : a high pommel of a saddle ; also : either of the projections on a lady's saddle for supporting the leg — see stock saddle illustration
(4) : a short lever attached to a control surface of an airplane by means of which it is operated
(5) or horn antenna : a radio antenna in which a metallic envelope that is usually a rectangular cross-section wave guide flares out to project a signal into space
(6) : a tube of varying sectional area used in some types of loudspeaker
d. : an erect penis — usually considered vulgar
e. : cornu
3.
a. : a musical wind instrument formed from the horn of an animal (as an ox or ram) ; specifically : shofar
b.
(1) : a brass wind instrument employing the lips as the vibrating medium (as the trumpet, saxhorn, tuba) or a plastic, wood, or metal imitation used as a children's toy
(2) : french horn
(3) : a wind instrument (as the saxophone, clarinet, trombone) used in a jazz band
c.
(1) : a usually electrically operated device (as on an automobile or a diesel locomotive or in a factory) that makes a noise like that of a horn and is used for sounding a warning signal
(2) : air horn
4.
a. : a means of defense : source of strength : power , glory , pride
The Lord is … the horn of my salvation — Ps 18:2 (Revised Standard Version)
the election of a prominent layman … will help to elevate the horn of the church — A.W.Long
b.
[so called from the old custom of cutting the spurs from cockerels when they were castrated and implanting them in the comb, where they would grow into hornlike members that made it easy to pick out capons, capons being frequent symbols of cuckoldry]
: an imaginary horn supposedly growing upon the head of a cuckold and regarded as an emblem of his state — usually used in plural
c. : one of the equally disadvantageous alternatives presented by a dilemma
to get off the horns of this dilemma will not be easy — Atlantic
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from horn, n.
: of or resembling horn or a horn ; especially : composed or made of horn or a similar substance (as a plastic)
horn spectacles
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: horn (I)
transitive verb
1. : cuckold
2.
a. : to butt or gore with the horns
b. : to drive with the horns — used with out or off
the young bull who had come to horn the old one out of the herd — Omnibook
3.
a.
(1) : to wedge or fasten (as a boom or spar of a ship) as if between horns
horn the boom in a crotch
(2) : to install (the frame of a ship) square to the keel after allowing for the keel's declivity
b. : to press or hammer (a piece of metal) on the horn of an anvil
4. dialect England : to proclaim or spread the news of
intransitive verb
dialect England : to talk in a gossipy manner