foghorn

American  

[fog-hawrn, fawg-] / ˈfɒgˌhɔrn, ˈfɔg- /

noun

1. a deep, loud horn for sounding warning signals in foggy weather, as to ships.

2. a deep, loud voice.

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foghorn British  

/ ˈfɒɡˌhɔːn /

noun

1. a mechanical instrument sounded at intervals to serve as a warning to vessels in fog

2. informal a loud deep resounding voice

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Etymology

Origin of foghorn

First recorded in 1855–60; fog ¹ + horn

Explanation

A foghorn is a warning signal that makes a loud noise when it's very foggy. The sound of a foghorn is a warning to sailors and ship captains. On foggy days near the coast, you might hear the repeated low, loud sound of a foghorn. Its warning noise lets those at sea know when they're approaching a rocky coastline or other obstacles they can't see in the fog. The earliest foghorns were gongs or bells that had to be manually hit, or in some cases cannons that were fired repeatedly as long as the fog lasted.

Example Sentences

William Carlos Williams, “Anna Karenina,” Katherine Anne Porter, “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Cats,” Foghorn Leghorn: all get shoutouts here, a collective distress call that fails to move us.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

"A ferry service has decided to rename itself in honour of drag queens and its name is Foghorn Fanny," she says.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2024

Daniel Craig plays Benoit Blanc, the master detective with the Foghorn Leghorn accent who is once again summoned by rich eccentrics to solve a mystery.

From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2022

Who cares if he sounds like Foghorn Leghorn?

From The Verge • Sep. 12, 2022

The folks of Egypt showed that they were greatly interested in the volume of voice possessed by "Foghorn Fremont," but they did not retreat.

From When Egypt Went Broke by Day, Holman