one of the bony, permanent, hollow paired growths, often curved and pointed, that project from the upper part of the head of certain hooved mammals, as cattle, sheep, goats, or antelopes.
a similar growth, sometimes of hair, as the median horn or horns on the snout of the rhinoceros, or the tusk of the narwhal.
a process projecting from the head of an animal and suggestive of such a growth, as a feeler, tentacle, or crest.
the bony substance of which such animal growths are composed.
any similar substance, as that forming tortoise shell, hoofs, nails, or corns.
an article made of the material of an animal horn or like substance, as a thimble, spoon, or shoehorn.
any projection or extremity resembling the horn of an animal.
something resembling or suggesting an animal horn.
a drinking horn.
a part resembling an animal horn attributed to deities, demons, etc..
the devil's horn.
Usually horns. the imaginary projections on a cuckold's brow.
Music.
a wind instrument, originally formed from the hollow horn of an animal but now usually made of brass or other metal or plastic.
something used as or resembling such a wind instrument.
Slang. a trumpet.
an instrument for sounding a warning signal.
an automobile horn.
Aeronautics. any of certain short, armlike levers on the control surfaces of an airplane.
Radio.
a tube of varying cross section used in some loudspeakers to couple the diaphragm to the sound-transmitting space.
Slang. a loudspeaker.
Slang. a telephone or radiotelephone.
I've been on the horn all morning.
the high protuberant part at the front and top of certain saddles; a pommel, especially a high one.
Carpentry. (in a door or window frame) that part of a jamb extending above the head.
one of the curved extremities of a crescent, especially of the crescent moon.
a crescent-shaped tract of land.
a pyramidal mountain peak, especially one having concave faces carved by glaciation.
a symbol of power or strength, as in the Bible.
a horn of salvation.
each of the alternatives of a dilemma.
the narrow, more pointed part of an anvil.
Metalworking. a projection at the side of the end of a rolled sheet or strip, caused by unevenness of the roll due to wear.
Horology. (in a lever escapement) either of the two prongs at the end of the lever fork guarding against overbanking when the guard pin is in the crescent.
to cuckold.
to butt or gore with the horns.
Shipbuilding. to set up (a frame or bulkhead of a vessel being built) at a proper angle to the keel with due regard to the inclination of the keel on the ways; plumb.
draw / pull in one's horns, to restrain oneself or become less belligerent; retreat.
Since he lost so much gambling, he's drawn in his horns a bit.
on the horns of a dilemma, confronted with two equally disagreeable choices.
blow / toot one's own horn, to publicize or boast about one's abilities or achievements.
He's a bright fellow, but likes to blow his own horn too much.
horn in, to thrust oneself forward obtrusively; intrude or interrupt.
Every time we try to have a private conversation, the boss horns in.
lock horns, to conflict, quarrel, or disagree.
The administration and the staff locked horns over the proposed measures.
either of a pair of permanent outgrowths on the heads of cattle, antelopes, sheep, etc, consisting of a central bony core covered with layers of keratin
the outgrowth from the nasal bone of a rhinoceros, consisting of a mass of fused hairs
any hornlike projection or process, such as the eyestalk of a snail
the antler of a deer
the constituent substance, mainly keratin, of horns, hooves, etc
( in combination )
horn-rimmed spectacles
a container or device made from this substance or an artificial substitute
a shoe horn
a drinking horn
an object or part resembling a horn in shape, such as the points at either end of a crescent, the point of an anvil, the pommel of a saddle, or a cornucopia
a primitive musical wind instrument made from the horn of an animal
any musical instrument consisting of a pipe or tube of brass fitted with a mouthpiece, with or without valves See hunting horn French horn cor anglais
slang jazz any wind instrument
a device for producing a warning or signalling noise
( in combination )
a foghorn
(usually plural) the hornlike projection attributed to certain devils, deities, etc
(usually plural) the imaginary hornlike parts formerly supposed to appear on the forehead of a cuckold
Also called: horn balance. an extension of an aircraft control surface that projects in front of the hinge providing aerodynamic assistance in moving the control
Also called: acoustic horn. exponential horn. a hollow conical device coupled to the diaphragm of a gramophone to control the direction and quality of the sound
any such device used to spread or focus sound, such as the device attached to an electrical loudspeaker in a public address system
Also called: horn antenna. a microwave aerial, formed by flaring out the end of a waveguide
geology another name for pyramidal peak
a stretch of land or water shaped like a horn
slang an erection of the penis
Bible a symbol of power, victory, or success
in my name shall his horn be exalted
Brit equivalent: blow one's own trumpet. to boast about oneself; brag
to suppress or control one's feelings, esp of anger, enthusiasm, or passion
to withdraw a previous statement
to economize
in a situation involving a choice between two equally unpalatable alternatives
in an awkward situation
to provide with a horn or horns
to gore or butt with a horn
Either of the bony growths projecting from the upper part of the head of certain hoofed mammals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats. The horns of these animals are never shed, and they consist of bone covered by keratin.
A hard growth that looks like a horn, such as an antler or a growth on the head of a giraffe or rhinoceros. Unlike true horns, antlers are shed yearly and have a velvety covering, and the horns of a rhinoceros are made not of bone but of hairy skin fused with keratin.
The hard durable substance that forms the outer covering of true horns. It consists of keratin.
First recorded before 900; Middle English horn(e) (noun), Old English horn; cognate with Dutch horen, Old Norse, Danish, Swedish horn, German Horn, Gothic haurn, Latin cornu “horn,” Irish, Welsh corn; akin to Greek kéras “horn” ( see cerat-); see also cornu
A horn is an instrument that's made of metal and is played by blowing into it. Another type of horn comes out of an animal's head. Don't confuse the two and imagine a trombone sticking out of a water buffalo's head. A trumpet is one kind of horn, and another is a silly plastic noisemaker that produces a loud, honking sound. You might blow this horn at a New Year's party or a football game. Your car has a horn too, that you use to warn other drivers of your presence or express your annoyance. The horns that animals have are hard, bony bumps or projections on their heads — you'll see them on goats and bulls, for example.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The bison hooked him with his left horn on his hip and tossed him in the air," Mike Macleod, who recorded the incident, told the Cowboy State Daily, a local paper.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
AFP reviewed examples offering everything from chimpanzees intended as pets to rhino horn for traditional medicine and pangolins for consumption.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Two weeks after Good’s murder, he drove around his neighborhood honking his horn to alert his community to ICE’s presence.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
It’s hard to see anyone but the most rabid Wings fan interested in, say, guitarist Laurence Juber’s amp or similar artifacts from the horn section, but on the other hand, this is a Wings retrospective.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
One horn is normal; the other is crooked.
From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola
Wells, 18, did not return with friends from a boating trip to Horn Island on 4 July and his body was found in the water two days later.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
BellRing CEO Darcy Horn Davenport said in May that the company had raised prices a few times.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
Regional climate centres are predicting "below-normal" rainfall during the critical June-September rainy season in the northern Greater Horn of Africa; below-average monsoon rainfall in south Asia; and drier and warmer summer conditions in central America.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
El Niños are typically associated with more precipitation for parts of southern South America, central Asia and the Horn of Africa, according to the World Meteorological Organization and National Weather Service.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
And Europe’s chancelleries for the next century played a chess game of naked exploitation and power from Cape Horn to Cairo.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
"I admired the bravery of Karolina Muchova, she earned the win, she took the bull by the horns and went for it," said Croft.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
England had hoped to keep their location secret after hundreds of Mexico supporters surrounded the base of last-32 opponents Ecuador's base, using car horns, roaring motorcycle engines and loud hailers to create a disturbance.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
In a half-covered amphitheatre in eastern China, 20-year-old Wang Shuangshuang locked his shoulder against the neck of a bull, grappling with its horns to force it to its knees.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
With media outlets in Colombia calling the victory for de la Espriella, his supporters honked horns in the capital and gathered to celebrate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Torak found that even more disturbing than the birch-bark horns.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Tom Berendsen, managing director of production company Business/Club, this year made a Super Bowl advert for Skittles starring Elijah Wood, surreally, as a magical horned woodland creature.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Triceratops and other horned dinosaurs had exceptionally large nasal cavities compared to most animals.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 22, 2026
The coinage is a nod to Brünnhilde, a soprano role stereotypically portrayed as a robust figure in a horned helmet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
There's a bone-white lobster, suctioned up for examination at the surface, and a horned sea cucumber whose mast-like spikes collapse into black spaghetti when it arrives on the ship.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
He kept alert for any weird footprints on the ground or jewelry-wearing horned toads in the branches of the chaha’oh.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
It was like a seldom-seen relative showing up at a wedding to give an elaborate toast, then horning her way into the photos.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2024
Using a device to achieve the same effect was unfairly horning in on AT&T property.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 26, 2024
He left behind a celebrated quote: “The trouble with boxing today is that legitimate businessmen are horning in on our game.”
From The Guardian ● May 22, 2015
His talent for horning in on history did not fail him.
From Slate ● Mar. 26, 2013
“From him. He sounds kind of bitter when he talks about you, and I get the distinct impression he doesn’t want me around, like I’m horning in on his game or something.”
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
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.
