hose

[hohz]

noun

plural

hose, hoses ,

plural

hosen .

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.

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

/ 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

hose

²

/ həʊz /

noun

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hose¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of hose¹

Old English hosa; related to Old High German hosa, Dutch hoos, Old Norse hosa

Origin of hose²

C15: later use of _hose ²

Example Sentences

A neighbor who had stayed to battle the blaze with a garden hose reported that a nearby tree had caught fire.

From Los Angeles Times

Smart fire trucks outfitted with sensors, cameras and radars will allow teams to get to blazes faster, and smart nozzles will monitor the flow of their hoses and alert in advance of water supply issues.

From Los Angeles Times

And by 7 a.m., it’s all over: the seafood is gone, the floors are hosed down, and a full day’s business has come and gone before you’ve even had your morning coffee.

From Salon

"They used hoses, water pipes and wooden boards to beat me. They treated us like animals."

From BBC

"They don't want their neighbour looking out a window and thinking, 'She's out there with a hose'."

From BBC

Related Words

• hosiery 
• sock 
• tights 
• tube 
• tubing