hose

American  

[hohz] / hoʊz /

noun

hoses, plural hosen plural

1. a flexible tube for conveying a liquid, as water, to a desired point.

   a garden hose; a fire hose.

2. (used with a plural verb) an article of clothing for the foot and lower part of the leg; stocking or sock.

3. (of men's attire in former times)

   1. an article of clothing for the leg, extending from about the knee to the ankle and worn with knee breeches.

   2. (used with a plural verb) knee breeches.

   3. (used with a plural verb) tights, as were worn with, and usually attached to, a doublet.

4. British Dialect. a sheath, or sheathing part, as that enclosing a kernel of grain.

5. Golf. hosel.

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verb (used with object)

hosed, hosing

1. to water, wash, spray, or drench by means of a hose (often followed bydown ).

   to hose the garden; to hose down the ship's deck.

2. Slang.

   1. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.

   2. to defeat decisively.

   3. to reject.

   4. Chiefly Military. to attack or assault (an area) in order to gain control quickly (sometimes followed bydown ).

hose ¹ British  

/ həʊz /

noun

1. stockings, socks, and tights collectively

2. history a man's garment covering the legs and reaching up to the waist; worn with a doublet

3. socks

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hose ² British  

/ həʊz /

noun

1. a flexible pipe, for conveying a liquid or gas

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verb

1. (sometimes foll by down) to wash, water, or sprinkle (a person or thing) with or as if with a hose

Other Word Forms

• hoseless
  adjective
• hoselike
  adjective
• unhosed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hose

before 1100; (noun) Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch hoos, Old Norse hosa, German Hose; (v.) Middle English: to provide with hose, derivative of the noun

Explanation

A hose is a long plastic or rubber tube that's used for moving a liquid from one place to another. You may use a hose to water your lawn, or to get gas from the pump into your car's tank. Don't use a hose to ingest liquids; use a glass instead. A garden hose is useful for watering plants or washing your car, while firefighters use hoses to spray water on fires. A hose is similar to a pipe, being long, narrow, and hollow, with space for liquid to move through it, although a hose is flexible, and a pipe is commonly made of stiff metal or hard plastic. You can use the word as a verb, meaning "to spray with a hose," or as a noun meaning "sheer stockings."

Example Sentences

Jonah Pierce scored 13 points to lead the Blue Hose, a tiny South Carolina-based outfit out of the Big South Conference that lost to California by only 10 points this week.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

D'Oliveira put on 117 with Adam Hose, who contributed 54 off 37, before holing out off Australian Will Sutherland in their 201-5.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

Watkins said she’ll do her best against the Blue Hose before Cardoso comes back for the second round.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2024

Hose packs can add 25 pounds on top of personal gear.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2022

And of course we have Merrimack Hose Company.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

Related Words

• hosiery
• sock
• tights
• tube
• tubing