hose

[ hohz ]
See synonyms for hose on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural hose for 2, 3; hos·es for 1, 4, 5; (Archaic) hos·en [hoh-zuhn]. /ˈhoʊ zən/.
  1. a flexible tube for conveying a liquid, as water, to a desired point: a garden hose; a fire hose.

  2. (used with a plural verb) an article of clothing for the foot and lower part of the leg; stocking or sock.

  1. (of men's attire in former times)

    • an article of clothing for the leg, extending from about the knee to the ankle and worn with knee breeches.

    • (used with a plural verb) knee breeches.

    • (used with a plural verb) tights, as were worn with, and usually attached to, a doublet.

  2. British Dialect. a sheath, or sheathing part, as that enclosing a kernel of grain.

  3. Golf. hosel.

verb (used with object),hosed, hos·ing.
  1. 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.

  2. Slang.

    • to cheat, trick, or take advantage of.

    • to defeat decisively.

    • to reject.

    • Chiefly Military. to attack or assault (an area) in order to gain control quickly (sometimes followed by down).

Origin of hose

1
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

Other words from hose

  • hoseless, adjective
  • hoselike, adjective
  • un·hosed, adjective

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

How to use hose in a sentence

  • Like magic an engine had appeared, and men in helmets were jumping nimbly over the stalls laying their hose down.

    The Slave of Silence | Fred M. White
  • Kalinski, what did you tell me about this man's having told his partner to hose down the pit?

  • Next we cut away as much of the ice as possible in the propeller-well, and carried a steam hose down into it.

    Farthest North | Fridtjof Nansen
  • Doug Yetsko bounded forward and brought his fire hose down on the back of one invader's neck.

    Null-ABC | Henry Beam Piper and John Joseph McGuire

British Dictionary definitions for hose (1 of 2)

hose1

/ (həʊz) /


noun
  1. a flexible pipe, for conveying a liquid or gas

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

Origin of hose

1
C15: later use of hose ²

British Dictionary definitions for hose (2 of 2)

hose2

/ (həʊz) /


nounplural hose or hosen
  1. stockings, socks, and tights collectively

  2. history a man's garment covering the legs and reaching up to the waist; worn with a doublet

  1. half-hose socks

Origin of hose

2
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