horse sense

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noun

common sense.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of horse sense

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35

Words nearby horse sense

horseradish, horseradish peroxidase, horseradish tree, horse rake, horse's ass, horse sense, horseshit, horseshoe, horseshoe arch, horseshoe back, horseshoe bat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use horse sense in a sentence

(Despite such horse sense, today Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia allow loaded guns in bars).
Praying While Packing Heat and Other Unwieldy American Traditions|Jack Schwartz|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Maybe it's just a deep distrust of common horse-sense and a faith in expertise.
Romney and Culture: Flip-Flop-Flip!|Michael Tomasky|August 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Taking first the head, which should be bony, not fleshy, remember that the more brain the more horse sense.
Horsemanship for Women|Theodore Hoe Mead
He was endowed with strong common sense, which the pike boys called “horse sense,” to emphasize its excellence.
The Old Pike|Thomas B. Searight

"If you're goin' ter talk ter me, you've got ter talk plain horse sense," he declared testily.
Pollyanna|Eleanor H. Porter
He has too much horse-sense in spite of his emotional gymnastics.
The Foolish Virgin|Thomas Dixon
I don't know whether I think that is anything but horse-sense.
The Copy-Cat and Other Stories|Mary E. Wilkins Freeman

British Dictionary definitions for horse sense

horse sense

noun

another term for common sense

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with horse sense

horse sense

Sound practical sense, as in She's got too much horse sense to believe his story. The exact allusion in this term, which dates from the mid-1800s, is disputed, since some regard horses as rather stupid. However, they tended to be viewed more positively in the American West, where the term originated.

horse sense

Origin of horse sense

Words nearby horse sense

Words related to horse sense

How to use horse sense in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for horse sense

Other Idioms and Phrases with horse sense