horn

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a device having the shape of a horn

   horns at the ends of a new moon

2. 2
   verb

   stab or pierce with a horn or tusk

   the rhino horned the explorer

3. 3
   noun

   The hard substance from which animals' horns are made, sometimes used by man as a material for making various objects.

   an umbrella with a handle made of horn

4. 4
   noun

   A vessel made from a horn, to contain drink, ink, gunpowder, etc.

   horns of mead and ale

5. 5
   noun

   An object whose shape resembles a horn, such as cornucopia or the point of an anvil.

   [W]hile riſing ſlow, / Blank, in the leaden-colour'd eaſt, the moon / Wears a wan circle round her blunted horns.

6. 6
   noun

   An instrument resembling a musical horn and used to signal others.

   hunting horn

7. 7
   noun

   A sound signaling the expiration of time.

   The shot was after the horn and therefore did not count.

8. 8
   noun

   A conical device used to direct waves.

   antenna horn

Etymology

From Middle English horn, horne, from Old English horn, from Proto-West Germanic *horn, from Proto-Germanic *hurną. Compare West Frisian hoarn, Dutch hoorn, Low German Hoorn, horn, German Horn, Danish and Swedish horn, Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌽 (haurn). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂-nó-m, from *ḱerh₂- (“head, horn”). Compare Breton kern (“horn”), Latin cornū, Ancient Greek κέρας (kéras), Proto-Slavic *sьrna, Old Church Slavonic сьрна (sĭrna, “roedeer”), Hittite [script needed] (surna, “horn”), Persian سر (sar), Sanskrit शृङ्ग (śṛṅga, “horn”). Doublet of corn (“callus”), corno, and cornu. (tele…