horseshoe
Americannoun
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horseshoes
plural
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a U -shaped metal plate, plain or with calks, nailed to a horse's hoof to protect it from being injured by hard or rough surfaces.
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something U -shaped, as a valley, river bend, or other natural feature.
We picnicked in the middle of a horseshoe of trees.
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(used with a singular verb) horseshoes, a game in which horseshoes or other U -shaped pieces of metal, plastic, etc., are tossed at an iron stake 30 or 40 feet (9 or 12 meters) away in order to encircle it or to come closer to it than one's opponent.
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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a piece of iron shaped like a U with the ends curving inwards that is nailed to the underside of the hoof of a horse to protect the soft part of the foot from hard surfaces: commonly thought to be a token of good luck
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an object of similar shape
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of horseshoe
Explanation
When you think of a horseshoe, don't picture a shoe with a sole and laces! Instead, a horseshoe is an arc-shaped piece of metal that gets nailed into the horse's hoof. Ever since humans started using horses for riding, pulling carts, and working on farms, they've found ways to guard their hooves against wear and injury. Horseshoes can be nailed onto the thick, fingernail-like hoof, or glued on. Some people consider horseshoes to be lucky symbols as well, while others enjoy the game called horseshoes, which involves throwing large horseshoes toward a metal stake in the ground.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I can already imagine it: point your phone at a package of ground beef and wait while a tiny animated horseshoe spins on the screen.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
It would offer travelers and employees an alternative to getting to and from the airport by vehicle and finally establish a direct airport connection to Metro trains that would ease congestion at the airport horseshoe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
There’s a friendship bracelet from a volunteer trip to Haiti, a horseshoe found on a Grand Canyon trail and antique lace from a market in Bruges, Belgium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The diplomats, Sherman explained, sat in a horseshoe formation and spoke one by one.
From Slate ● May 1, 2026
It snagged on the horseshoe as she pulled it out of her pocket, and Sasha raised an eyebrow.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
How close is good enough for horseshoes, hand grenades and constitutional law under Bruen?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
Beyoncé's rodeo rumbled into London, bringing with it every country cliché you could think of - cowboy hats, horseshoes, tassels and even a gold mechanical bull.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025
In addition to horse skulls and skeletons, the team found horseshoes.
From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 19, 2024
Such candies were first available in shapes like baseballs, horseshoes, and watches.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2024
He took off War Chief’s old worn-down horseshoes.
From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos
In both cases, he has accidentally horseshoed himself into spectacularly ill-informed opinions that nonetheless capture something of the contemporary zeitgeist.
From Salon ● Dec. 29, 2024
Schauffele, who led overnight and for much of the final round, failed with his 60-footer, while US Open champion Clark's 17-footer horseshoed around the hole.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2024
At the Masters, he horseshoed short putts to miss the cut while Tiger Woods ground out a limping resurgence on his surgically repaired leg.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2023
The three-times European Ryder Cup member missed the chance for a “mulligan” — golf terminology for a free shot — when his short bogey putt horseshoed around the hole and hit his foot.
From Reuters ● Oct. 13, 2019
Unfortunately for the 23-year-old from Forest, Va., his ball caught the left lip and horseshoed out, leaving the crowd stunned at the shockingly outcome.
From Golf Digest ● May 28, 2019
She sent Benedict Cumberbatch — who stars as Phil, a vicious, hypermasculine rancher — to Montana as well, to learn roping, riding, horseshoeing, whittling, banjo and bull-calf castration.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2021
That’s out of this world, but Casey passes up the opportunity to salvage the half, his putt horseshoeing out.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 25, 2021
Raffo was driving on Highway 530 to a horseshoeing job when the slide hit.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 22, 2019
“There is being in running shape and there is being in horseshoeing shape,” she said.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 20, 2015
Her husband saved up his horseshoeing money and bought her freedom right after they were married.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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