An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; from Navajo hooghan “hogan, home”
A hogan is a Navajo dwelling made of bark, logs, and earth. These traditional structures were once commonly used as homes, though newly built hogans are more often used for ceremonial purposes. Many Navajo families still live in older hogans, and, regardless of what type of structure the family lives in, it's considered important to have a family hogan for ceremonies. The very oldest of these structures were cone-shaped and insulated with packed mud that kept them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The door commonly faced east, for easy viewing of the sunrise, which symbolized good fortune. The Navajo root is hoghan, "dwelling."
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Born in 1932 in a traditional Navajo hogan without running water or electricity, Laughter was 16 when Native Americans got the right to vote in Arizona.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
My hogan has electricity but no running water.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 8, 2020
Inside the hogan, John Hoskie III and his sister, Johnelle, helped their father use nickel and copper to shape belt buckles, which they planned to sell at local rodeos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2019
On this date in 1960, a Navajo forked pole hogan was tree ring dated to 1387, the earliest date on record.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 9, 2014
Nathan stepped into the hogan and immediately noticed how thick and stale the air inside was.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
The idea behind this new paid service is "getting the fastest investors and algorithms a split-second advantage," Art Hogan, an analyst with B. Riley Wealth Management, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Hogan insists that regardless of the personnel changes, the club model remains the same and they will continue to stick to their principles.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Hogan is speaking to BBC Sport in New York ahead of Andoni Iraola's side taking on Wrexham at the famous Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening at 19:30 local time, 00:30 BST.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
For his brilliant play, he became the first man to sweep the Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Fred Haskins awards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
She enjoyed the WWF Wrestling Mania shows, where Hulk Hogan and Mr. Perfect, whose necks were wider than their heads, wore spangled Lycra leggings and beat each other up brutally.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
