wahoo

[wah-hoo, wah-hoo]

noun, plural wa·hoos.

any of various American shrubs or small trees, as the winged elm, Ulmus alata, or a linden, Tilia heterophylla.

Origin of wahoo

An Americanism dating back to 1760–70; origin uncertain

wahoo

[wah-hoo, wah-hoo]

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.

Origin of wahoo

1855–60, Americanism; < Dakota wanhu, equivalent to wan- arrow + hu wood, shaft

Also called burning bush.

wahoo

[wah-hoo, wah-hoo]

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.

Origin of wahoo

First recorded in 1905–10; origin uncertain

Also called peto.

wahoo

⁴

[wah-hoo]

interjection

(an exclamation used to express joy, excitement, etc.)

Origin of wahoo

⁴

1900–05, Americanism; of imitative origin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wahoo

Contemporary Examples of wahoo

A sobering article on gang rape inside a UVA fraternity has Wahoo alumni like myself up in arms.
How UVA Is Failing Its Women
Allison McNearney
November 20, 2014

Historical Examples of wahoo

The heartwood of wahoo is white, with a slight tinge of orange.
American Forest Trees
Henry H. Gibson
The leaves, bark, and fruit of the wahoo are acrid and are reputed to be poisonous.
American Forest Trees
Henry H. Gibson
It will be believed that I did not leave Wahoo without the deepest regret.
A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812
Archibald Campbell
One separated from the others and shot down into the Valley of the Wahoo.
In the Heart of a Fool
William Allen White
For the toll of death in the Wahoo Valley was cruel and inexorable.
In the Heart of a Fool
William Allen White

British Dictionary definitions for wahoo

wahoo

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

wahoo

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

wahoo

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for wahoo

type of large marine fish, 1905, of unknown origin.