plural horses also horse
1
a(1)
: a large solid-hoofed herbivorous ungulate mammal (Equus caballus, family Equidae, the horse family) domesticated since prehistoric times and used as a beast of burden, a draft animal, or for riding
(2)
: racehorse
lost a lot of money playing the horses
b
: a male horse
especially
: stallion
c
: a recent or extinct animal (such as a zebra, ass, or onager) of the horse family
2
a
: jackstay
b
: a frame usually with legs used for supporting something (such as planks or staging) : sawhorse
c(1)
gymnastics
: pommel horse
(2)
gymnastics
: vaulting horse
3
4
geology
: a mass of the same geologic character as the wall rock that occurs within a vein of useful mineral matter
5
: horsepower
a car with 275 horses
6
slang
: heroin
7
: an athlete whose performance is consistently strong and reliable
a team with the horses to win the pennant
8
or H-O-R-S-E
: a game in which players take turns attempting to duplicate successful basketball shots, a letter of the word "horse" is awarded for each missed attempt, and the first player to receive all five letters loses
horsed; horsing
1
: to provide with a horse (see horse sense 1a(1))
horsing a coach
a horsed vehicle
2
: to move by brute force
sweating gunners horsed their pieces into action—Bruce Catton
of a mare
: to be in heat or estrus
1
a
: of or relating to a horse (see horse sense 1a(1))
a horse farm
b
: hauled or powered by a horse
a horse barge
2
: large or coarse of its kind
3
: mounted on horses
horse guards
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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