definitions

hosing

[ hoh-zing ]
/ ˈhoʊ zɪŋ /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hosing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Slang.

an act or instance of being taken advantage of or cheated.
an act or instance of being attacked or defeated decisively; drubbing: Small investors took a hosing in the recent stock-market decline.

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RELATED WORDS

fraud, deception, blackmail, hoax, deceit, shakedown, racket, extortion, rip-off, sham, fool, lie, misinform, entice, cheat, hoodwink, dupe, betray, deceive, tempt

Nearby words

hoser, hosey, hoshana rabbah, hosier, hosiery, hosing, hosp., hospice, hospitable, hospital, hospital bed

Origin of hosing

hose + -ing1

Definition for hosing (2 of 2)

hose

[ hohz ]
/ hoʊz /

noun, plural hose for 2, 3; hos·es for 1, 4, 5; (Archaic) hos·en [hoh-zuh n] /ˈhoʊ zən/.

verb (used with object), hosed, hos·ing.

to water, wash, spray, or drench by means of a hose (often followed by down): to hose the garden; to hose down the ship's deck.
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 by down).

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

Related forms

hose·less, adjectivehose·like, adjectiveun·hosed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hosing

  • The night crew was moving through the empty Main Street, hosing down the streets, sweeping, scrubbing.

    Makers|Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for hosing (1 of 2)

hose

1
/ (həʊz) /

noun

a flexible pipe, for conveying a liquid or gas

verb

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

Word Origin for hose

C15: later use of hose ²

British Dictionary definitions for hosing (2 of 2)

hose

2
/ (həʊz) /

noun plural hose or hosen

stockings, socks, and tights collectively
history a man's garment covering the legs and reaching up to the waist; worn with a doublet
half-hose socks

Word Origin for hose

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