• Ho

    Pronunciation

    • RP IPA: /həʊ/
    • US IPA: /hoÊŠ/
    • Rhymes: -əʊ
    • Homophones: hoe, hoh

    Origin 1

    From Middle English ho, hoo (interjection.), probably from Old Norse hó!. Compare German ho, Old French ho ! ("hold!, halt!").

    Full definition of ho

    Interjection

    1. (nautical) Used to attract attention to something sighted, usually by lookouts.Sail ho!
    2. Another boat is visible!
    3. Land ho!
    4. Land is visible!
    5. Man ho!
    6. A town is visible!
    7. halloo; hey; a call to excite attention, or to give notice of approach
      • ShakespeareWhat noise there, ho?
      • ShakespeareHo! who's within?

    Noun

    ho

    1. A stop; a halt; a moderation of pace.
      • DeckerThere is no ho with them.

    Origin 2

    An eye dialect corruption of whore, from non-rhotic pronunciations considered typical of African American Vernacular English. Compare mo' (more) and fo' (for, four).

    Noun

    ho

    (plural hos or hoes)
    1. (slang, pejorative) A whore; a sexually loose woman; in general use as a highly offensive name-calling word for a woman with connotations of loose sexuality.Bros before hos!

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