Houyhnhnm

[hoo-in-uhm, hwin-uhm, win-]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

(in Swift'sGulliver's Travels ) one of a race of horses endowed with reason, who rule the Yahoos, a race of degraded, brutish creatures having human form.

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1726; apparently echoic; whinny

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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Houyhnhnm, whin′im, n. one of the noble rational horse race in Gulliver's Travels.

"Oh, it was—it was!" whooped the Houyhnhnm from out the cellar.

There are more than four hundred horses in His Highness's city stables alone; and where the Houyhnhnm is, there also will be the Yahoo.

And then Miss Gittens came bumping by on the grey, and, before I could interfere, my Houyhnhnm was off like a shot in pursuit.

The pony travelled like a glorified Houyhnhnm and we have brought a second male servant to take care of him.

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