Horn HORN, n. [L. cornu] 1. A hard substance growing on the heads
of certain animals, and particularly on cloven-footed quadrupeds; usually
projecting to some length and terminating in a point. Horns are generally
bent or curving, and those of some animals are spiral. They serve for
weapons of offense and defense. The substance of horns is gelatinous,
and in Papin's digester it may be converted into jelly. Horn is an
animal substance, chiefly membranous, consisting of coagulated albumen,
with a little gelatin and phosphate of lime. The horns of deer possess
exactly the properties of bone,and are composed of the same constituents,
only the proportion of cartilage is greater. 2. A wind instrument
of music, made of horn; a trumpet. Such were used by the Israelites.
3. In modern times, a wind instrument made of metal. 4. An extremity
of the moon, when it is waxing or waning, and forming a crescent.
5. The feeler or antenna of an insect. 6. The feeler of a snail,
which may be withdrawn; hence, to pull or draw in the horns, is to repress
one's ardor, or to restrain pride. 7. A drinking cup; horns being
used anciently for cups. 8. A winding stream. 9. Horns, in the
plural, is used to characterize a cuckold. He wears the horns.
10. In Scripture, horn is a symbol of strength or power. The horn
of Moab is cut off. Jer 48. Horn is also an emblem of glory, honor,
dignity. My horn is exalted in the Lord. 1 Sam 2. In Daniel,
horn represents a kingdom or state.
horn
n 1: a noisemaker (as at parties or games) that makes a loud
noise when you blow through it
2: one of the bony outgrowths on the heads of certain ungulates
3: a noise made by the driver of an automobile to give warning;
4: a high pommel of a Western saddle (usually metal covered with
leather) [syn: horn, saddle horn]
5: a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a
narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of
valves [syn: cornet, horn, trumpet, trump]
6: any hard protuberance from the head of an organism that is
similar to or suggestive of a horn
7: the material (mostly keratin) that covers the horns of
ungulates and forms hooves and claws and nails
8: a device having the shape of a horn; "horns at the ends of a
new moon"; "the hornof an anvil"; "the cleat had two horns"
9: an alarm device that makes a loud warning sound
10: a brass musical instrument consisting of a conical tube that
is coiled into a spiral and played by means of valves [syn:
French horn, horn]
11: a device on an automobile for making a warning noise [syn:
automobile horn, car horn, motor horn, horn,
hooter]
v 1: stab or pierce with a horn or tusk; "the rhino horned the
explorer" [syn: horn, tusk]
horn nounEtymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German
horn, Latin cornu, Greek kerasDate: before
12th century 1.a. one of the usually paired bony processes that arise from the
head of many ungulates and that are found in some extinct mammals and
reptiles: as (1) one of the permanent paired hollow sheaths
of keratin usually present in both sexes of cattle and their relatives
that function chiefly for defense and arise from a bony core anchored
to the skull — see cow illustration (2)antler(3)
a permanent solid horn of keratin that is attached to the nasal bone of
a rhinoceros (4) one of a pair of permanent bone protuberances
from the skull of a giraffe or okapi that are covered with hairy skin
b. a part like an animal's horn attributed especially to the devil
c. a natural projection or excrescence from an animal resembling
or suggestive of a horn d.(1) the tough fibrous material consisting chiefly of keratin
that covers or forms the horns of cattle and related animals, hooves, or
other horny parts (as claws or nails) (2) a manufactured product
(as a plastic) resembling horn
e. a hollow horn used to hold something 2. something
resembling or suggestive of a horn: as
a. one of the curved ends of a crescent b. a sharp mountain
peak c. a body of land or water shaped like a horn d.
a beak-shaped part of an anvil e. a high pommel of a saddle
f.cornu3.a. an animal's horn used as a wind instrument b.
a brass wind instrument: as
(1)hunting horn(2)French hornc. a wind instrument used in a jazz band; especiallytrumpetd. a usually electrical device that makes a noise like
that of a horn
4. a source of strength 5. one of the equally disadvantageous
alternatives presented by a dilemma 6.slangtelephone
• hornadjective • hornedadjective •
hornednessnoun • hornlessadjective •
hornlessnessnoun • hornlikeadjective
horn n. & v. --n. 1 a a hard permanent outgrowth, often curved and pointed, on the head of cattle, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and other esp. hoofed mammals, found singly, in pairs, or one in
front of another. b the structure of a horn, consisting of a core of bone encased in keratinized skin. 2 each of two deciduous branched appendages on the head of (esp. male) deer. 3 a hornlike
projection on the head of other animals, e.g. a snail's tentacle, the crest of a horned owl, etc. 4 the substance of which horns are composed. 5 anything resembling or compared to a horn in
shape. 6 Mus. a = French horn. b a wind instrument played by lip vibration, orig. made of horn, now usu. of brass. c a horn player. 7 an instrument sounding a warning or other signal (car
horn; foghorn). 8 a receptacle or instrument made of horn, e.g. a drinking-vessel or powder-flask etc. 9 a horn-shaped projection. 10 the extremity of the moon or other crescent. 11 a an
arm or branch of a river, bay, etc. b (the Horn) Cape Horn. 12 a pyramidal peak formed by glacial action. 13 coarse sl. an erect penis. 14 the hornlike emblem of a cuckold. --v.tr. 1
(esp. as horned adj.) provide with horns. 2 gore with the horns. Phrases and idioms: horn in sl. 1 (usu. foll. by on) intrude. 2 interfere. horn of plenty a cornucopia.
horn-rimmed (esp. of spectacles) having rims made of horn or a substance resembling it. on the horns of a dilemma faced with a decision involving equally unfavourable
alternatives. Derivatives: hornist n. (in sense 6 of n.). hornless adj. hornlike adj. Etymology: OE f. Gmc, rel. to L cornu
horn
(horns)
1. On a vehicle such as a car, the horn is the device that makes a loud noise as a
signal or warning.
He sounded the car horn.N-COUNT: oft supp N
2. The horns of an animal such as a cow or deer are the hard pointed things that grow
from its head.
N-COUNT: usu pl
3. Horn is the hard substance that the horns of animals are made of. Horn is sometimes
used to make objects such as spoons, buttons, or ornaments.
N-UNCOUNTsee alsohorn-rimmed
4. A horn is a musical instrument of the brass family. It is a long circular metal tube,
wide at one end, which you play by blowing.
N-COUNT: oft the N
5. A horn is a simple musical instrument consisting of a metal tube that is wide at
one end and narrow at the other. You play it by blowing into it.
...a hunting horn.N-COUNT
6.
see alsoshoehorn
7. If you blow your own horn, you boast about yourself. (mainly AM)
PHRASE
8. If two people lock horns, they argue about something.
During his six years in office, Seidman has often locked horns with lawmakers.PHRASE: V inflects, pl-n PHR
9. If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you have to choose between two things, both
of which are unpleasant or difficult.
The bird is caught on the horns of a dilemma. Should it attack the predator, even though
it then risks its own life? Or should it get out while the going is good?PHRASE: PHR after v
10. If someone pulls in their horns or draws in their horns,
they start behaving more cautiously than they did before, especially by spending less money.
Customers are drawing in their horns at a time of high interest rates.PHRASE: V inflects
11.
to take the bull by the horns: seebull
horn
hɔ:n n. & v. --n. 1 a a hard permanent outgrowth, often curved
and pointed, on the head of cattle, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and other
esp. hoofed mammals, found singly, in pairs, or one in front of another. b
the structure of a horn, consisting of a core of bone encased in keratinized
skin. 2 each of two deciduous branched appendages on the head of (esp. male)
deer. 3 a hornlike projection on the head of other animals, e.g. a snail's
tentacle, the crest of a horned owl, etc. 4 the substance of which horns are
composed. 5 anything resembling or compared to a horn in shape. 6 Mus. a =
French horn. b a wind instrument played by lip vibration, orig. made of horn,
now usu. of brass. c a horn player. 7 an instrument sounding a warning or
other signal (car horn; foghorn). 8 a receptacle or instrument made of horn,
e.g. a drinking-vessel or powder-flask etc. 9 a horn-shaped projection. 10
the extremity of the moon or other crescent. 11 a an arm or branch of a
river, bay, etc. b (the Horn) Cape Horn. 12 a pyramidal peak formed by
glacial action. 13 coarse sl. an erect penis. 14 the hornlike emblem of a
cuckold. --v.tr. 1 (esp. as horned adj.) provide with horns. 2 gore with
the horns. øhorn in sl. 1 (usu. foll. by on) intrude. 2 interfere. horn
of plenty a cornucopia. horn-rimmed (esp. of spectacles) having rims made
of horn or a substance resembling it. on the horns of a dilemma faced with
a decision involving equally unfavourable alternatives. øøhornist n. (in
sense 6 of n.). hornless adj. hornlike adj. [OE f. Gmc, rel. to L cornu]
Poppy \Pop"py\, n.; pl. Poppies. [OE. popy, AS. popig, L.
papaver.] (Bot.)
Any plant or species of the genus Papaver, herbs with showy
polypetalous flowers and a milky juice. From one species
({Papaver somniferum}) opium is obtained, though all the
species contain it to some extent; also, a flower of the
plant. See Illust. of Capsule.
California poppy (Bot.), any yellow-flowered plant of the
genus Eschscholtzia.
Corn poppy. See under Corn.
Horn, or Horned, poppy. See under Horn.
Poppy bee (Zo["o]l.), a leaf-cutting bee ({Anthocopa
papaveris}) which uses pieces cut from poppy petals for
the lining of its cells; -- called also upholsterer bee.
Prickly poppy (Bot.), Argemone Mexicana, a
yellow-flowered plant of the Poppy family, but as prickly
as a thistle.
Poppy seed, the seed the opium poppy ({P. somniferum}).
Spatling poppy (Bot.), a species of Silene ({S. inflata}).
See Catchfly.
Horn \Horn\, n. [AS. horn; akin to D. horen, hoorn, G., Icel.,
Sw., & Dan. horn, Goth. ha['u]rn, W., Gael., & Ir. corn, L.
cornu, Gr. ?, and perh. also to E. cheer, cranium, cerebral;
cf. Skr. [,c]iras head. Cf. Carat, Corn on the foot,
Cornea, Corner, Cornet, Cornucopia, Hart.]
1. A hard, projecting, and usually pointed organ, growing
upon the heads of certain animals, esp. of the ruminants,
as cattle, goats, and the like. The hollow horns of the Ox
family consist externally of true horn, and are never
shed.
2. The antler of a deer, which is of bone throughout, and
annually shed and renewed.
3. (Zo["o]l.) Any natural projection or excrescence from an
animal, resembling or thought to resemble a horn in
substance or form; esp.:
(a) A projection from the beak of a bird, as in the
hornbill.
(b) A tuft of feathers on the head of a bird, as in the
horned owl.
(c) A hornlike projection from the head or thorax of an
insect, or the head of a reptile, or fish.
(d) A sharp spine in front of the fins of a fish, as in
the horned pout.
4. (Bot.) An incurved, tapering and pointed appendage found
in the flowers of the milkweed ({Asclepias}).
5. Something made of a horn, or in resemblance of a horn; as:
(a) A wind instrument of music; originally, one made of a
horn (of an ox or a ram); now applied to various
elaborately wrought instruments of brass or other
metal, resembling a horn in shape. ``Wind his horn
under the castle wall.'' --Spenser. See French horn,
under French.
(b) A drinking cup, or beaker, as having been originally
made of the horns of cattle. ``Horns of mead and
ale.'' --Mason.
(c) The cornucopia, or horn of plenty. See Cornucopia.
``Fruits and flowers from Amalth[ae]a's horn.''
--Milton.
(d) A vessel made of a horn; esp., one designed for
containing powder; anciently, a small vessel for
carrying liquids. ``Samuel took the hornof oil and
anointed him [David].'' --1 Sam. xvi. 13.
(e) The pointed beak of an anvil.
(f) The high pommel of a saddle; also, either of the
projections on a lady's saddle for supporting the leg.
(g) (Arch.) The Ionic volute.
(h) (Naut.) The outer end of a crosstree; also, one of the
projections forming the jaws of a gaff, boom, etc.
(i) (Carp.) A curved projection on the fore part of a
plane.
(j) One of the projections at the four corners of the
Jewish altar of burnt offering. ``Joab . . . caught
hold on the horns of the altar.'' --1 Kings ii. 28.
6. One of the curved ends of a crescent; esp., an extremity
or cusp of the moon when crescent-shaped.
The moon Wears a wan circle round her blunted horns.
--Thomson.
7. (Mil.) The curving extremity of the wing of an army or of
a squadron drawn up in a crescentlike form.
Sharpening in mooned horns Their phalanx. --Milton.
8. The tough, fibrous material of which true horns are
composed, being, in the Ox family, chiefly albuminous,
with some phosphate of lime; also, any similar substance,
as that which forms the hoof crust of horses, sheep, and
cattle; as, a spoon of horn.
9. (Script.) A symbol of strength, power, glory, exaltation,
or pride.
The Lord is . . . the horn of my salvation. --Ps.
xviii. 2.
10. An emblem of a cuckold; -- used chiefly in the plural.
``Thicker than a cuckold's horn.'' --Shak.
Horn block, the frame or pedestal in which a railway car
axle box slides up and down; -- also called horn plate.
Horn of a dilemma. See under Dilemma.
Horn distemper, a disease of cattle, affecting the internal
substance of the horn.
Horn drum, a wheel with long curved scoops, for raising
water.
Horn lead (Chem.), chloride of lead.
Horn maker, a maker of cuckolds. [Obs.] --Shak.
Horn mercury. (Min.) Same as Horn quicksilver (below).
Horn poppy (Bot.), a plant allied to the poppy ({Glaucium
luteum}), found on the sandy shores of Great Britain and
Virginia; -- called also horned poppy. --Gray.
Horn pox (Med.), abortive smallpox with an eruption like
that of chicken pox.
Horn quicksilver (Min.), native calomel, or bichloride of
mercury.
Horn shell (Zo["o]l.), any long, sharp, spiral, gastropod
shell, of the genus Cerithium, and allied genera.
Horn silver (Min.), cerargyrite.
Horn slate, a gray, siliceous stone.
To haul in one's horns, to withdraw some arrogant
pretension. [Colloq.]
HORN
horn (Hebrew and Aramaic qeren; keras; for the "ram's horn" (yobhel) of
Jos 6 see MUSIC, and for the "inkhorn" of Eze 9 (qeceth)
see separate article):
(1) Qeren and keras represent the English "horn" exactly, whether on the animal
(Ge 22:13), or used for musical purposes (Jos 6:5; 1Ch 25:5),
or for containing a liquid (1Sa 16:1,13; 1Ki 1:39), but in Eze
27:15 the horns of ivory are of course tusks and the "horns" of ebony are
small (pointed?) logs. Consequently most of the usages require no explanation.
(2) Both the altar of burnt offering (Ex 27:2; 38:2; compare Eze
43:15) and the incense altar (Ex 30:2; 37:25,26; compare Re
9:13) had "horns," which are explained to be projections "of one
piece with" the wooden framework and covered with the brass (or gold)
that covered the altar. They formed the most sacred part of the altar
and were anointed with the blood of the most solemn sacrifices (only)
(Ex 30:10; Le 4:7,18,25,30,34; 16:18; compare Eze 43:20), and
according to Le 8:15; 9:9, the first official sacrifices began by
anointing them. Consequently cutting off the horns effectually desecrated
the altar (Am 3:14), while "sin graven on them" (Jer 17:1)
took all efficacy from the sacrifice. On the other hand they offered the
highest sanctuary (1Ki 1:50,51; 2:28). Of their symbolism nothing
whatever is said, and the eventual origin is quite obscure. "Remnants of a
bull-cult" and "miniature sacred towers" have been suggested, but are wholly
uncertain. A more likely origin is from an old custom of draping the altar
with skins of sacrificed animals (RS, 436). That, however, the "horns" were
mere conveniences for binding the sacrificial animals (Ps 118:27,
a custom referred to nowhere else in the Old Testament), is most unlikely.
See ALTAR.
(3) The common figurative use of "horn" is taken from the image of battling
animals (literal use in Da 8:7, etc.) to denote aggressive strength. So
Zedekiah ben Chenaanah illustrates the predicted defeat of the enemies by
pushing with iron horns (1Ki 22:11; 2Ch 18:10), while "horns of the
wildox" (De 33:17; Ps 22:21; 92:10, the King James Version "unicorn")
represent the magnitude of power, and in Zec 1:18-21 "horns" stand for
power in general. In Hab 3:4 the "horns coming out of his hand" denote
the potency of Yahweh's gesture (the Revised Version (British and American)
"rays" may be smoother, but is weak). So to "exalt the horn" (1Sa 2:1,10;
Ps 75:4, etc.) is to clothe with strength, and to "cut off the horn"
(not to be explained by Am 3:14) is to rob of power (Ps 75:10;
Jer 48:25). Hence, the "horn of salvation" in 2Sa 22:3; Ps 18:2; Lu
1:69 is a means of active defense and not a place of sanctuary as in 1Ki
1:50. When, in Da 7:7-24; 8:3,8,9,20,21; Re 13:1; 17:3,7,12,16,
many horns are given to the same animal, they figure successive nations or
rulers. But the seven horns in Re 5:6; 12:3 denote the completeness
of the malevolent or righteous power. In Re 13:11, however, the two
horns point only to the external imitation of the harmless lamb, the "horns"
being mere stubs.
Burton Scott Easton
Horn
Trumpets were at first horns perforated at the tip, used for
various purposes (Josh. 6:4,5).
Flasks or vessels were made of horn (1 Sam. 16:1, 13; 1 Kings
1:39).
But the word is used also metaphorically to denote the
projecting corners of the altar of burnt offerings (Ex. 27:2)
and of incense (30:2). The horns of the altar of burnt offerings
were to be smeared with the blood of the slain bullock (29:12;
Lev. 4:7-18). The criminal, when his crime was accidental, found
an asylum by laying hold of the horns of the altar (1 Kings
1:50; 2:28).
The word also denotes the peak or summit of a hill (Isa. 5:1,
where the word "hill" is the rendering of the same Hebrew word).
This word is used metaphorically also for strength (Deut.
33:17) and honour (Job 16:15; Lam. 2:3). Horns are emblems of
power, dominion, glory, and fierceness, as they are the chief
means of attack and defence with the animals endowed with them
(Dan. 8:5, 9; 1 Sam. 2:1; 16:1, 13; 1 Kings 1:39; 22:11; Josh.
6:4, 5; Ps. 75:5, 10; 132:17; Luke 1:69, etc.). The expression
"horn of salvation," applied to Christ, means a salvation of
strength, or a strong Saviour (Luke 1:69). To have the horn
"exalted" denotes prosperity and triumph (Ps. 89:17, 24). To
"lift up" the horn is to act proudly (Zech. 1:21).
Horns are also the symbol of royal dignity and power (Jer.
48:25; Zech. 1:18; Dan. 8:24).
horn
I. n.1. Bony excrescence or projection.
2. Horny matter or material.
3. Trumpet, wind-instrument.
4. Drinking-cup, beaker.
5.(Bot.) Spur.
6. Cusp, curved extremity, prong, wing (of a battle line).
II. v. a.1. Fit or furnish with horns, shape like a horn.
2. Cuckold.
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