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  • hoe
    hoe
    noun
    a long-handled implement having a thin, flat blade usually set transversely, used to break up the surface of the ground, destroy weeds, etc.
  • Hoe
    Hoe
    noun
    Richard, 1812–86, U.S. inventor and manufacturer of printing-press equipment.
Synonyms

hoe

1 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /

noun

  1. a long-handled implement having a thin, flat blade usually set transversely, used to break up the surface of the ground, destroy weeds, etc.

  2. any of various implements of similar form, as for mixing plaster or mortar.


verb (used with object)

hoes, present (3rd person singular) hoed, past participle, past hoeing present participle
  1. to dig, scrape, weed, cultivate, etc., with a hoe.

verb (used without object)

hoes, present (3rd person singular) hoed, past participle, past hoeing present participle
  1. to use a hoe.

Hoe 2 American  
[hoh] / hoʊ /

noun

  1. Richard, 1812–86, U.S. inventor and manufacturer of printing-press equipment.

  2. his father Robert, 1784–1833, U.S. manufacturer of printing presses.


hoe British  
/ həʊ /

noun

  1. any of several kinds of long-handled hand implement equipped with a light blade and used to till the soil, eradicate weeds, etc

"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

verb

  1. to dig, scrape, weed, or till (surface soil) with or as if with a hoe

"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
hoe Idioms  

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of hoe

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English howe, from Old French houe, from Germanic; compare Middle Dutch houwe, Old High German houwa “mattock”; akin to hew

Explanation

A hoe is a gardening tool made up of a long handle with a sharp metal blade at the end, used to stab the ground and loosen it. Hoe can be a noun or a verb, so you can use your hoe to remove weeds from a lawn, or you can hoe your garden and make it ready to plant. The word shares the same root as hew, which is a verb that means "to strike, chop, or cut." The “oe” seems tricky, but remember that it never changes, and even if you’re hoeing with three hoes in grass you hoed yesterday, the hoe stays the same.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing hoe

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.

David Badham, general manager at Central Convenience on Walker Terrace near where the woman was found on West Hoe Road, said staff heard "screams" and people asking for an ambulance.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025

“She’s the global phenomenon right now and she’s representing Taiwan,” said Benson Hu, 31, who has been doing drag in Taiwan for three years as Sandra Hoe.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2024

Infectious diseases expert Leong Hoe Nam said many of the locals signing up at his Rophi Clinic for Sinovac were in their 60s and echoed such fears.

From Reuters • Jul. 16, 2021

The incident happened on Hoe Avenue Thursday in the middle of the afternoon.

From Fox News • Sep. 13, 2020

Washington added, “That this Fellow is both a Rogue & Runaway...I shall not pretend to deny—But that he is exceedingly healthy, strong, and good at the Hoe, the whole neighbourhood can testifie.”

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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