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ho

1 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /

interjection

  1. (used as a call to attract attention, sometimes specially used after a word denoting a destination).

    Westward ho! Land ho!

  2. (used as an exclamation of surprise or delight.)


ho 2 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /

interjection

  1. (used as a command to a horse to stop.)


ho 3 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /
Or hoe

noun

Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

plural

hos, hoes, ho's
  1. a sexually promiscuous woman.

  2. a prostitute; whore.

  3. a woman.


Ho 4 American  
Symbol, Chemistry.
  1. holmium.


HO 5 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /

noun

  1. (in police use) habitual offender.


ho. 6 American  

abbreviation

  1. house.


H.O. 7 American  

abbreviation

  1. Head Office; Home Office.


HO 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. head office

  2. government Home Office

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ho 2 British  
/ həʊ /

interjection

  1. Also: ho-ho.  an imitation or representation of the sound of a deep laugh

  2. an exclamation used to attract attention, announce a destination, etc

    what ho!

    land ho!

    westward ho!

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ho 3 British  

symbol

  1. holmium

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ho 4 British  
/ həʊ /

noun

  1. slang:Black a derogatory term for a woman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ho. 5 British  

abbreviation

  1. house

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does ho mean? Not to be confused with hoe (the gardening tool), a ho is an offensive term for a sex worker or a promiscuous woman. Some people use the term to insult women in general while some women have reclaimed the term.What are other forms of ho?hoe

Etymology

Origin of ho1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; a natural exclamation

Origin of ho2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ho, who, from Old French ho, and Old Norse hō; whoa

Origin of ho3

First recorded in 1965–70; dialectal or African American Vernacular English pronunciation of whore