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wahoo
1[ wah-hoo, wah-hoo ]
/ wɑˈhu, ˈwɑ hu /
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noun, plural wa·hoos.
any of various American shrubs or small trees, as the winged elm, Ulmus alata, or a linden, Tilia heterophylla.
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We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Origin of wahoo
1An Americanism dating back to1760–70; possibly from Creek vhahwv “walnut”
Words nearby wahoo
Other definitions for wahoo (2 of 4)
wahoo2
[ wah-hoo, wah-hoo ]
/ wɑˈhu, ˈwɑ hu /
noun, plural wa·hoos.
a shrub or small tree, Euonymus atropurpurea, of North America, having finely serrated, elliptical leaves and pendulous capsules that in opening reveal the bright-scarlet arils of the seeds.
Also called burning bush.
Origin of wahoo
2An Americanism dating back to 1855–60; from Dakota wanhu, equivalent to wan- “arrow” + hu “wood, shaft”
Other definitions for wahoo (3 of 4)
wahoo3
[ wah-hoo, wah-hoo ]
/ wɑˈhu, ˈwɑ hu /
noun, plural wa·hoos, (especially collectively) wa·hoo.
a large, swift mackerel, Acanthocybium solanderi, widespread in warm seas, of a steel blue to greenish blue above and silver below, often leaping from the water and occasionally schooling in great numbers: valued as a food and game fish.
Also called peto.
Origin of wahoo
3First recorded in 1905–10; origin uncertain; perhaps from Wahoo, an obsolete spelling for Oahu (Hawaii)
Other definitions for wahoo (4 of 4)
wahoo4
[ wah-hoo ]
/ ˈwɑˈhu /
interjection
(an exclamation used to express joy, excitement, etc.)
Origin of wahoo
4An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; of imitative origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use wahoo in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for wahoo (1 of 3)
wahoo1
/ (wɑːˈhuː, ˈwɑːhuː) /
noun plural -hoos
an elm, Ulmus alata, of SE North America having twigs with winged corky edgesAlso called: winged elm
Word Origin for wahoo
from Creek ǔhawhu cork elm
British Dictionary definitions for wahoo (2 of 3)
wahoo2
/ (wɑːˈhuː, ˈwɑːhuː) /
noun plural -hoos
an E North American shrub or small tree, Euonymus atropurpureus, with scarlet capsules and seedsAlso called: burning bush
Word Origin for wahoo
C19: from Dakota wāhu arrowwood
British Dictionary definitions for wahoo (3 of 3)
wahoo3
/ (wɑːˈhuː, ˈwɑːhuː) /
noun plural -hoos
a large fast-moving food and game fish, Acanthocybium solandri, of tropical seas: family Scombridae (mackerels and tunnies)
Word Origin for wahoo
of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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