horse
horse — noun
1. People ride this large, strong animal or use it to carry goods and pull vehicles
People ride this large, strong animal or use it to carry goods and pull vehicles on farms.
Lara learned to ride a horse when she was six years old.
collocation: ride a horse
The farmer used two horses to pull the heavy cart full of hay.
collocation: horses pull [a cart/vehicle]
Tariq brushed the horse's coat until it shone in the sunlight.
Hari leads the horse to the stream every morning and waits while it drinks the cold, fresh water.
Padma watched the horses gallop across the wide open field at sunset.
collocation: gallop across [place]
- ride a horse
- get on / off a horse
- horse and cart
- on horseback
- a herd of horses
Grammar Patterns
a horse / horses
Usage Note
Use 'pony' for small breeds — a pony is not a baby horse but a different size category.
Common Mistakes
2. The activity of betting money on horse races, hoping to pick the winner and rece
The activity of betting money on horse races, hoping to pick the winner and receive a payout.
Cole spent the whole afternoon at the horse track, studying each horse's past results before placing a bet.
collocation: horse track / place a bet
Some gamblers study the horses for weeks before placing a single bet.
collocation: place a bet
Tariro's uncle lost a lot of money on the horses last season.
The annual racing festival drew huge crowds to the racecourse, with spectators lining the fences before the first race.
- bet on the horses
- the horse track
- horse racing
- lose money on the horses
Grammar Patterns
the horses / the horse
Usage Note
In this sense, 'the horses' or 'the horse' refers to the sport of horse racing as a gambling activity, not to individual animals.
3. A padded block on four legs used in gymnastics for athletes to jump or vault ove
A padded block on four legs used in gymnastics for athletes to jump or vault over.
Sora ran toward the horse and vaulted over it with a perfect flip.
collocation: vault over the horse
The coach lowered the horse so the beginners could practice safely.
Élise won a bronze medal for her vault routine on the horse.
collocation: routine on the horse
Each gymnast jumped onto the horse, pushed off, and landed on the mat.
- vault over the horse
- jump over the horse
- land off the horse
- pommel horse
- vaulting horse
fuller term that specifies the apparatus used in vault events
- pommel horse
a related apparatus with handles on top, used in men's artistic gymnastics
Grammar Patterns
the horse
a horse
vault over the horse
Usage Note
Modern competitions use the 'vaulting table' instead of a horse for women's artistic gymnastics, but the term 'horse' is still used for men's pommel horse events.
4. A basketball shooting game in which one player tries a shot and the rest must re
A basketball shooting game in which one player tries a shot and the rest must repeat the same shot or receive a letter from the word HORSE.
Maeve and her friends played HORSE in the driveway, trying to sink tricky shots from behind the garage.
collocation: play HORSE
Daichi sank a free throw, and then Lien had to make the same shot or take the letter H.
game mechanic: copy the shot or get a letter
Reuben won the HORSE game by sinking a shot from behind the basket.
collocation: win / lose a HORSE game
Maeve and Reuben played HORSE until the street lights came on at night.
- play HORSE
- a game of HORSE
- win at HORSE
Grammar Patterns
play HORSE
a game of HORSE
Usage Note
The name comes from the word 'HORSE' — each missed copy earns a letter, and the first player to spell the whole word loses. Not related to the animal.
5. A street name for the illegal drug heroin.
A street name for the illegal drug heroin.
The police found a small bag of horse in the abandoned car.
collocation: bag of horse
The documentary showed how quickly an addiction to horse can destroy a life.
At the police station, the officer showed Gita a bag of horse and warned her how dangerous it was.
concrete scene: police station / bag / warning
Health workers warned teenagers about the serious risks of using horse.
register: informal slang term for heroin
- a bag of horse
- use horse
- addicted to horse
- sell horse
Grammar Patterns
horse (uncountable)
Usage Note
Highly informal slang. In formal or medical contexts, use 'heroin' instead.
Common Mistakes
6. Soldiers who fight on horseback, especially as a military unit in historical war
Soldiers who fight on horseback, especially as a military unit in historical warfare.
General Bilal sent his horse ahead at dawn to scout the enemy camp hidden behind the ridge.
collective noun: horse = cavalry unit
In ancient times, horse and foot soldiers fought together on the battlefield.
The enemy's horse surrounded the village before anyone could escape.
The army had five hundred horse ready to charge at first light.
grammar: number + horse = count of cavalry
- light horse
- heavy horse
- horse and foot
- send the horse
- cavalry
the standard modern term for troops on horseback or in armored vehicles
- mounted troops
descriptive phrase that avoids ambiguity
Grammar Patterns
horse (used as a collective mass noun)
Usage Note
Used as a collective noun similar to 'cavalry' — 'three hundred horse' means three hundred mounted soldiers. Do not add -s for plural.
Common Mistakes
7. A wooden or metal frame with legs used to hold boards, pipes, or other materials
A wooden or metal frame with legs used to hold boards, pipes, or other materials while cutting or working on them.
Padma placed the wooden plank across two horses before sawing it.
collocation: across two horses
The carpenter set up a horse under the long beam to keep it steady.
Eri used a horse to hold the metal pipe while she painted it.
The workers set several horses in a row to support the new floorboards.
collocation: set up a horse / set up horses
- set up a horse
- across two horses
- a sawhorse
- workhorse (figurative)
Grammar Patterns
a horse / two horses
Usage Note
Often called a 'sawhorse' when used specifically for cutting wood. 'Horse' alone is common in construction shorthand.
horse around
phrasal verbTo play roughly, behave in a silly or noisy way, especially when you should be serious or careful.
The boys were horsing around in the living room and knocked over a lamp.
The teacher told the class to stop horsing around and focus on the lesson.
Information that comes directly from the most reliable source, so you know it is true.
I heard the news straight from the horse's mouth — the manager herself told me.
Indra got the details straight from the horse's mouth when she spoke to the CEO.
You should not criticize or examine a gift too closely; accept it gratefully without complaining about its quality.
Asher complained that the watch was not his favourite colour, but his mother said not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Lara decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and simply thanked her aunt for the sweater.
hold your horses
idiomUsed to tell someone to wait, slow down, or be patient before acting or speaking.
Hold your horses — we need to check the map before driving any further.
The teacher told the excited children to hold their horses until the bell rang.
A completely different matter or situation from the one being discussed.
Renting a car is cheap, but buying one is a horse of a different colour.
Sana could handle a small project, but leading the whole team was a horse of a different colour.
beat a dead horse
idiomTo waste time and energy discussing a topic that has already been decided or that nobody wants to talk about anymore.
I know you disagree, but the decision is final — please stop beating a dead horse.
Christopher kept arguing about the old plan, but everyone told him he was beating a dead horse.
back the wrong horse
idiomTo support someone or something that fails.
Min backed the wrong horse when he invested in that startup.
Did you back the wrong horse by supporting that candidate?
To act as if you are better than others.
Sara got on her high horse and refused to listen to us.
Why are you on your high horse about this small mistake?
To switch to a different plan or supporter in the middle of something.
Changing horses in midstream during the project caused delays.
The team decided not to change horses in midstream.
To try to prevent damage after it has already happened.
Installing a security system now is locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.
Aiden apologized after the damage was done, closing the stable door after the horse had bolted.
a dark horse
idiomA person who keeps their life private and surprises others with hidden qualities.
Maya is a dark horse; she never talks about her art awards.
Did you know that quiet guy is a dark horse who writes novels?
To completely ruin a plan or idea.
The new evidence drove a coach and horses through his argument.
Her resignation drove a coach and horses through our project timeline.
eat like a horse
idiomTo eat a very large amount of food.
Diego eats like a horse but never gains weight.
After the hike, we all ate like horses at the restaurant.
flog a dead horse
idiomTo waste effort trying to do something that is no longer possible.
Arguing about that old rule is flogging a dead horse.
Brian realized he was flogging a dead horse and gave up.
Information given by someone directly involved, so it is reliable.
I heard the news straight from the horse's mouth—the CEO herself.
Is that rumor from the horse's mouth or just gossip?
horses for courses
idiomThe idea that different people are suited to different tasks.
In hiring, it's horses for courses—each role needs specific skills.
Matching tasks to talents is horses for courses.
Wishing for something does not make it happen.
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, but we need to work hard.
You can dream all you want, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
To criticize or reject something that is given for free.
When offered free tickets, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
Sara accepted the old bike without looking a gift horse in the mouth.
A competition where only a few participants have a real chance to win.
The election became a two-horse race between the main parties.
Is this tournament a one-horse race or will there be surprises?
To do things in the wrong order.
Buying furniture before finding an apartment puts the cart before the horse.
Don't put the cart before the horse by planning the party before the date.
Nothing could persuade someone to go somewhere or do something they do not want to.
Wild horses would not drag Maya to that boring meeting.
Wild horses would not make Brian apologize for his mistake.
You can give someone a chance to do something, but you cannot force them to do it.
Maya offered free tutoring, but you can lead a horse to water.
Diego gave his son a guitar, but you can't make him drink.
horse — verb
1. To give or supply horses to people or military units for riding or pulling loads
To give or supply horses to people or military units for riding or pulling loads.
The army spent the winter horsing its new cavalry recruits.
collocation: horse [troops/recruits]
The village stable horsed thirty riders for the annual harvest parade through town.
collocation: horse [number] riders
All the soldiers were well horsed before the long journey began.
passive: be horsed
The wealthy landowner horsed his carriage with two fine grey mares.
collocation: horse [a carriage] with [horses]
The village had to horse the messenger so he could reach the capital by nightfall.
- horse [troops]
- be horsed
- horse [a unit]
- supply with horses
modern, more transparent phrasing
- mount
similar meaning — to provide someone with a horse or vehicle to ride
Grammar Patterns
horse + [someone/something] + with + [horses]
be horsed
Usage Note
Now rare or historical. Most modern contexts use 'supply with horses' or 'provide horses for' instead.
horse — adjective
1. Relating to, pulled by, or used with horses — describing events, vehicles, or lo
Relating to, pulled by, or used with horses — describing events, vehicles, or locations connected to horses.
The horse market was held in the main square every Saturday morning.
collocation: horse market / horse show / horse farm
Lara's family owns a horse farm with thirty animals and a large stable.
The tourists took a horse carriage ride through the historic streets of the town.
The annual horse show attracted visitors and riders from five different countries.
- horse farm
- horse show
- horse race
- horse market
- horse carriage
- horse-drawn
- equestrian
more formal term relating to horse riding, from Latin 'equus' meaning horse
Grammar Patterns
horse + [noun]
Usage Note
Always used before a noun. Unlike the noun 'horse', this adjective form cannot stand alone — you say 'horse farm', not 'that farm is horse'.
Common Mistakes
2. Bigger, rougher, or coarser than the usual form of something — used in compound
Bigger, rougher, or coarser than the usual form of something — used in compound names for plants, animals, or objects.
The comedian's horse laugh filled the room and made everyone smile.
collocation: horse laugh = loud, coarse laugh
A horse mushroom can grow as large as a dinner plate.
The horse chestnut tree drops large, shiny brown nuts in autumn.
Priya took a horse pill with a glass of water because the dose was large.
collocation: horse pill = large, hard-to-swallow pill
- horse laugh
- horse chestnut
- horse mushroom
- horse pill
- horse radish (horseradish)
Grammar Patterns
horse + [noun]
Usage Note
Only used in fixed compound phrases (horse laugh, horse mushroom, horse chestnut, horse pill). You cannot freely create new combinations — 'horse book' would not mean 'a large book'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- horsemannounB2
- horsewomannounB2
- horsemanshipnounC1
- horsebacknounB1
- horsepowernounB2
- horseshoenounB2
- horseradishnounC1
- horseflynounC1
- horseplaynounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All five words describe members of the Equus caballus species, but they differ in size, age, gender, and register. 'Horse' is the general, neutral term for any adult animal of this species and is the most commonly used word. 'Pony' refers specifically to a small breed of horse that stays under about 147 centimetres at the shoulder — it is not a baby horse. 'Mare' is an adult female horse, often used in farming and breeding contexts. 'Stallion' is an adult male horse, typically kept for breeding and known for its strength and energy. 'Foal' is a young horse of either sex, under one year old. For example, you might say 'The mare gave birth to a healthy foal' or 'The children rode a gentle pony, not a large horse.' Choosing the right term depends on whether you need to specify gender, age, or size.
Common collocations
Phrases
- a pair of horses
- a team of horses
- a herd of horses
Prepositions
- on horseback
- by horse
- off a horse
- from a horse
Etymology
The word 'horse' comes from Old English 'hors', which developed from Proto-Germanic '*hrussą'. This Germanic root traces back to the Proto-Indo-European base '*ḱers-', meaning 'to run'. The same ancient root gave rise to words like Latin 'currere' (to run) and English 'current' and 'course'. 'Horse' has been part of English since before the written language, reflecting how central horses were to transport, farming, and warfare in early Germanic cultures. Related words in other Germanic languages include German 'Ross' (though the common German word is 'Pferd'), Dutch 'ros', and Old Norse 'hross'.