hoe

C2 Topic:Gardening & Horticulture

US /hoʊ/ UK /həʊ/ See IPA manual

Homophones

ho /hoʊ/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like ha /ɑ/ vs /oʊ/

Freq #20079

Meanings

1

verb
dig with a hoe

They hoed the flower beds to prepare for planting.
2

noun
Any of various tools for scraping, scratching, digging, or stirring soil or other materials.

For their organic row crops, they do the weeding with hoes. They get in there often, but it goes fast, and the weeds never get ahead.
3

verb
To cut, dig, scrape, turn, arrange, or clean, with this tool.

To hoe the earth in a garden.
4

verb
To clear from weeds, or to loosen or arrange the earth about, with a hoe.

To hoe corn.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · any of various tools for... hand hoe

Word family

Forms hoeing

Derived forms backhoehoe-farminghoecakehoedadhoedownhoelikerakehoeswoeunhoed

Related forms mattock pick rake

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

hoe handle
the part of a hoe held while using the tool

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Hoe your own row

Tongue twisters (1)

See all

High Up the Hill
High up the hill he heaved a huge hoe.

Let each /h/ begin with an easy breath. Keep heaved and huge separate, and use your usual pronunciation of huge.

Etymology

From Middle English howe, from Anglo-Norman houe, from Frankish *hauwā, derivative of Frankish *hauwan (“to hew”), from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną. More at hew.

Topics

Gardening & Horticulture Actions & Processes

External links

# hoe

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /hoʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /həʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 20079

## Meanings
1. dig with a hoe
2. Any of various tools for scraping, scratching, digging, or stirring soil or other materials.
3. To cut, dig, scrape, turn, arrange, or clean, with this tool.
4. To clear from weeds, or to loosen or arrange the earth about, with a hoe.

## Examples
- They hoed the flower beds to prepare for planting.
- For their organic row crops, they do the weeding with hoes. They get in there often, but it goes fast, and the weeds never get ahead.
- To hoe the earth in a garden.
- To hoe corn.

## Derived Forms
- backhoe
- hoe-farming
- hoecake
- hoedad
- hoedown
- hoelike
- rakehoe
- swoe
- unhoed

## Related Forms
- mattock
- pick
- rake

## Etymology
From Middle English howe, from Anglo-Norman houe, from Frankish *hauwā, derivative of Frankish *hauwan (“to hew”), from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną. More at hew.

## Topics
- Gardening & Horticulture
- Actions & Processes

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hoe

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

Proverbs (1)

Tongue twisters (1)

Etymology

Topics

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