homo

¹ American  

[hoh-moh] / ˈhoʊ moʊ /

noun

Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.

plural

homos

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay person, especially a gay man.

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Homo ² American  

[hoh-moh] / ˈhoʊ moʊ /

noun

1. the genus of bipedal primates that includes modern humans and several extinct forms, distinguished by their large brains and a dependence upon tools.

2. Facetious. (used in made-up taxonomic expressions to denote a type of human being).

   The door opens, and in walks Homo stupidus.

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homo- ³ American  

1. a combining form appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “same” (homology ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (homomorphic ).

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homo- ¹ British  

combining form

1. being the same or like Compare hetero-

   homologous

   homosexual

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homo ² British  

/ ˈhəʊməʊ /

noun

1. informal homogenized milk

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Homo ³ British  

/ ˈhəʊməʊ /

noun

1. a genus of hominids including modern man (see Homo sapiens ) and several extinct species of primitive man, including Homo habilis and Homo erectus

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homo ⁴ British  

/ ˈhəʊməʊ /

noun

1. informal short for homosexual

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homo– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “same,” as in homogamous, having the same kind of flower.

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Homo Cultural  

1. The genus to which human beings belong. The genus Homo includes Neanderthals and other hominids closely related to today's humans, such as Homo erectus.

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Etymology

Origin of homo¹

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening of homosexual ( def. )

Origin of Homo²

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin homō “man, human,” literally “the earthly one,” derivative of humus “earth, ground, soil”; related to Latin hūmānus “pertaining to man, human”; akin to Old English guma, Old Irish duine, Welsh dyn, Old Lithuanian žmuõ “human being”; humus, human

Origin of homo-³

< Greek, combining form of homós one and the same; akin to Sanskrit sama-; same

Example Sentences

But their construction, and ingenuity, has one wondering about the intelligence and fortitude of these homo sapiens who lived as many as 9,000 years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

You also discuss how, even if Ricardo didn't articulate it this way, he was the origin of the concept of "homo economicus," or economic man.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2025

The script’s ridiculous rationale — which our hero repeatedly intones like he’s hypnotizing us to believe it — is that certain beekeepers have pledged to prevent colony collapse, both apoidea and homo sapien.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2024

Q: Have homo sapiens evolved into the so-called “homo technologicus?”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 11, 2023

One is dbghem, meaning earth; this became guman in Germanic, gumen in Old English, then homo and humanus in Latin, from which we have both “human” and “humus.”

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas