honk

[hongk, hawngk]

See more synonyms for honk on Thesaurus.com

noun

the cry of a goose.
any similar sound, as of an automobile horn.

verb (used without object)

to emit a honk.
to cause an automobile horn to sound: He drove up in front of the house and honked.

verb (used with object)

to cause (an automobile horn) to sound: The driver honked his horn impatiently.

Origin of honk

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; imitative

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for honk

beep, blare, sound, blast, blow, tootle

Examples from the Web for honk

Contemporary Examples of honk

So I asked the driver to honk the horn, which he does, and Rod looks over.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile
Robert Ward
January 3, 2015
As cars approached a group of about 20 men and women, a cry went out: “Honk your horn!”
Ferguson Protesters Harass Black Police, Call for Darren Wilson’s Death
Justin Glawe
November 21, 2014
I took the photo and immediately noticed a nearby sign, which said “Honk If You Love This Flag.”
Pro-Confederate Protesters in Richmond Rally in Support of the Flag
Jamelle Bouie
November 2, 2013
That is, a honk and a tweet may lie near the heart of any easy listening.
A New Masterpiece, Built on an Old One
Blake Gopnik
September 12, 2013

Historical Examples of honk

If she gets afloat afore I come back you honk and holler and I'll row after you.
The Depot Master
Joseph C. Lincoln
A mingling of honk and cackle, it manifested not excitement so much as curiosity.
Tales of Fishes
Zane Grey
While he was there Chester heard the honk of the Imp's horn outside.
Red Pepper Burns
Grace S. Richmond
Noises we hear, the warning shriek of the fire engine or the honk!
Here and Now Story Book
Lucy Sprague Mitchell
Well, by and by, after a while, he heard the honk of an automobile horn.
Little Jack Rabbit and the Squirrel Brothers
David Cory

British Dictionary definitions for honk

honk

noun

a representation of the sound made by a goose
any sound resembling this, esp a motor horn
British and Australian slang a bad smell

verb

to make or cause (something) to make such a sound
(intr) British a slang word for vomit
British and Australian slang to have a bad smell

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

Word Origin and History for honk

cry of a goose, 1814, American English, imitative. As a verb by 1854, of geese; the sense of "sound a horn," especially on an automobile, first recorded 1895 in American English. Related: Honked; honking.