horseshoe
Americannoun
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a U -shaped metal plate, plain or with calks, nailed to a horse's hoof to protect it from being injured by hard or rough surfaces.
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something U -shaped, as a valley, river bend, or other natural feature.
We picnicked in the middle of a horseshoe of trees.
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(used with a singular verb) horseshoes, a game in which horseshoes or other U -shaped pieces of metal, plastic, etc., are tossed at an iron stake 30 or 40 feet (9 or 12 meters) away in order to encircle it or to come closer to it than one's opponent.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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a piece of iron shaped like a U with the ends curving inwards that is nailed to the underside of the hoof of a horse to protect the soft part of the foot from hard surfaces: commonly thought to be a token of good luck
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an object of similar shape
verb
Other Word Forms
- horseshoer noun
Etymology
Origin of horseshoe
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Byrne’s well-earned accolades allow “Tow” to fare better than it otherwise would have, while also causing “Tow” to horseshoe back to its starting point as an overall puzzling career choice.
From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026
The location of the Robert F. Kennedy Stadium cries out for a horseshoe design open to the west, permitting spectators to look out toward a majestic vista and setting sun.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
On Saturday they adopted more of a horseshoe, with a capacity crowd of some 82,00 at Twickenham belting out a chorus of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' -- England's rugby anthem -- for good measure.
From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025
The horseshoe element has been lost and, through that, has the advantage for the home team suffered?
From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025
Finally a man tied one end around a horseshoe.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
