Horn — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈhȯrn/

Meaning & Definition of Horn

Horn (noun)

  1. one of the usually paired bony processes that arise from the head of many ungulates and that are found in some extinct mammals and reptiles
  2. one of the permanent paired hollow sheaths of keratin usually present in both sexes of cattle and their relatives that function chiefly for defense and arise from a bony core anchored to the skull
  3. antler

Horn (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something shaped like a hollow cone and used as a container

    "musketeers carrying their gunpowder in powder horns"

    similar: cornet, cornucopia
    related: funnel, tube

Related Entry: Horn-mad (adjective)

Horn-mad is a different word from Horn. The synonyms below are for horn-mad, not for horn.

  1. feeling or showing anger

    "the residents were horn-mad when they found out their housing community had been built on a waste dump site"

    similar: angered, angry, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off (chiefly British), choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed, infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, mad, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty (chiefly British), sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth, bent out of shape, blue in the face, fit to be tied, going crook (Australian & New Zealand), hopping mad, hot under the collar, in a fume, in a huff, in a pet
    related: ranting, raving, stormy, boiling, bristling, bristly, burning, cross, huffy, passionate, seething, sizzling, smoldering, worked up, wrought (up), acrid, acrimonious, antagonistic, antipathetic, bitter, embittered, inimical, malevolent, piqued, rancorous, resentful, spiteful, vengeful, vindictive, virulent, vitriolic, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, ill-tempered, sorehead, sulky, unfriendly, unpleasant, aggravated, annoyed, bearish, bilious, cantankerous, churlish, crabby, cranky, dyspeptic, exasperated, fretful, fussy, grouchy, grumpy, ill-humored, inflammable, irascible, irritable, peevish, perturbed, petulant, put out, quick-tempered, snappish, testy, touchy, argumentative, belligerent, contentious, contrary, disputatious, ornery, pugnacious, quarrelsome, querulous
    opposite: angerless, delighted, pleased
    near: accepting, accommodating, obliging, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, amicable, cordial, friendly, content, happy, satisfied, empathetic, sympathetic, tolerant, understanding, calm, pacific, peaceable, placid, serene, tranquil, unembittered, affable, amiable, easygoing, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, kind, pleasant, sweet

Related Entry: Horn in (verb)

Horn in is a different word from Horn. The synonyms below are for horn in, not for horn.

  1. as in bother, barge (in)

    similar: barge (in), bother, break in, chime in, chip in (chiefly British), cut in, interpose, interrupt, intrude, add, contribute, put in

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Horn

The most common words with a similar meaning to Horn:

cornet, cornucopia

Related Words for Horn

funnel, tube

Word Forms of Horn

Inflections: horns

Derived words: horn (adjective), horned (adjective), hornedness (noun), hornless (adjective), hornlessness (noun), hornlike (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Horn

Middle English, going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *hurna- (whence also Old Frisian, Old High German & Old Norse horn "horn," Gothic haurn), going back to Indo-European *ḱr̥-n-o, perhaps originally "object made of bony material from the head" (whence also Latin cornum, cornū "horn," Welsh carn "hoof, hilt, handle," Breton karn "hoof," and, with an additional velar suffix, Sanskrit śŕ̥ṅgam "horn"), derivative of a base *ḱer-, elsewhere with laryngeal element *ḱer-h2- "bony material constituting the skull or horns" kerato-

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Horn

Words & Phrases Containing Horn

horn fly, horn in, horn-mad, horn of plenty, horn-rims, horn-rimmed glasses

Frequently Asked Questions about Horn

What does "Horn" mean?

"Horn" means one of the usually paired bony processes that arise from the head of many ungulates and that are found in some extinct mammals and reptiles. As a noun, it is defined as: one of the usually paired bony processes that arise from the head of many ungulates and that are found in some extinct mammals and reptiles.

What is another word for "Horn"?

Other words for "Horn" include cornet and cornucopia. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Horn" you intend.

How do you use "Horn" in a sentence?

Examples of "Horn" in a sentence: "musketeers carrying their gunpowder in powder horns".

Is "Horn" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Horn" is a noun.

Is "Horn" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Horn" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Horn"?

"Horn" is pronounced /ˈhȯrn/.

What is the origin of the word "Horn"?

"Horn" comes from Middle English, going back to Old English, going back to Germanic *hurna- (whence also Old Frisian, Old High German & Old Norse horn "horn," Gothic haurn), going back to Indo-European *ḱr̥-n-o, perhaps originally "object made of bony material from the head" (whence also Latin cornum, cornū "horn," Welsh carn "hoof, hilt, handle," Breton karn "hoof," and, with an additional velar suffix, Sanskrit śŕ̥ṅgam "horn"), derivative of a base *ḱer-, elsewhere with laryngeal element *ḱer-h2- "bony material constituting the skull or horns" kerato-. First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Horn" meaning "something shaped like a hollow cone and used as a container"?

When "Horn" (noun) means something shaped like a hollow cone and used as a container, synonyms include cornet and cornucopia.