homo

[ hoh-moh ]

noun,plural ho·mos.Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
  1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a gay person, especially a gay man.

Origin of homo

1
First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening of homosexual

Other definitions for Homo (2 of 3)

Homo
[ hoh-moh ]

noun
  1. the genus of bipedal primates that includes modern humans and several extinct forms, distinguished by their large brains and a dependence upon tools.: Compare archaic Homo.

  2. Facetious. (used in made-up taxonomic expressions to denote a type of human being): The door opens, and in walks Homo stupidus.

Origin of Homo

2
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin homō “man, human,” literally “the earthly one,” derivative of humus “earth, ground, soil”; related to Latin hūmānus “pertaining to man, human”; akin to Old English guma, Old Irish duine, Welsh dyn, Old Lithuanian žmuõ “human being”; see humus,human

Other definitions for homo- (3 of 3)

homo-

  1. a combining form appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it meant “same” (homology); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (homomorphic).

Origin of homo-

3
<Greek, combining form of homós one and the same; akin to Sanskrit sama-;see same
  • Also especially before a vowel, hom-.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use homo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for homo (1 of 4)

homo1

/ (ˈhəʊməʊ) /


nounplural -mos
  1. informal short for homosexual

British Dictionary definitions for homo (2 of 4)

homo2

/ (ˈhəʊməʊ) /


noun
  1. Canadian informal homogenized milk

British Dictionary definitions for Homo (3 of 4)

Homo

/ (ˈhəʊməʊ) /


noun
  1. a genus of hominids including modern man (see Homo sapiens) and several extinct species of primitive man, including Homo habilis and Homo erectus

Origin of Homo

3
Latin: man

British Dictionary definitions for homo- (4 of 4)

homo-

combining form
  1. being the same or like: homologous; homosexual Compare hetero-

Origin of homo-

4
via Latin from Greek, from homos same

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

Scientific definitions for homo-

homo-

  1. A prefix meaning “same,” as in homogamous, having the same kind of flower.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for Homo

Homo

[ (hoh-moh) ]


The genus to which human beings belong. The genus Homo includes Neanderthals and other hominids closely related to today's humans, such as Homo erectus.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.