Advertisement

ho

1

[ hoh ]

interjection

  1. (used as a call to attract attention, sometimes specially used after a word denoting a destination):

    Westward ho! Land ho!

  2. (used as an exclamation of surprise or delight.)


ho

2

[ hoh ]

interjection

  1. (used as a command to a horse to stop.)

ho

3
or hoe

[ hoh ]

noun

, Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.
, plural hos, hoes, ho's.
  1. a sexually promiscuous woman.
  2. a prostitute; whore.
  3. a woman.

Ho

4
Symbol, Chemistry.
  1. holmium.

HO

5

[ hoh ]

noun

  1. (in police use) habitual offender.

ho.

6

abbreviation for

  1. house.

H.O.

7

abbreviation for

  1. Head Office; Home Office.

ho

1

/ həʊ /

noun

  1. slang:Black.
    a derogatory term for a woman
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


ho

2

/ həʊ /

interjection

  1. Alsoho-ho an imitation or representation of the sound of a deep laugh
  2. an exclamation used to attract attention, announce a destination, etc

    westward ho!

    land ho!

    what ho!

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

HO

3

abbreviation for

  1. head office
  2. government Home Office
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Ho

4

the chemical symbol for

  1. holmium
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ho.

5

abbreviation for

  1. house
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ho1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; a natural exclamation

Origin of ho2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ho, who, from Old French ho, and Old Norse hō; whoa

Origin of ho3

First recorded in 1965–70; dialectal or African American Vernacular English pronunciation of whore
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of ho1

C20: from Black or Southern US pronunciation of whore

Origin of ho2

C13: of imitative origin; compare Old Norse hó, Old French ho! halt!
Discover More

Example Sentences

There was Carol White, a ho-hum homemaker who finds herself besieged by multiple chemical sensitivity in Safe.

Lily Allen explained away the poor sales and ho-hum critical reception to Sheezus by…basically blaming other people.

Ho, 42, admitted that he had never stepped out of sight of the government minders but he insisted that was by choice.

All 130 employees share a similar vision and all seem very gung ho about their racy products.

Even after the subpoenas started flying, he remained gung-ho on entitlement reform.

The door banged shut behind him and I heard him at the foot of the stairs roaring "Ho-ho-there-ho!"

The men did “hold on” most powerfully; they did more, they hauled upon the rope, hand over hand, to a “Yo-heave-ho!”

The sailors who had been lounging about the deck sprang up and looked eagerly across the waves, as the cheerful "Sail-ho!"

Then Crozier called with a great, cheery voice—what Mona used to call his tally-ho voice.

And p. 48 epeid per ho ts lichanou topos eis apeirous temnetai tomas.

Advertisement

Discover More

About This Word

What does ho mean?

Not to be confused with hoe (the gardening tool), a ho is an offensive term for a sex worker or a promiscuous woman. Some people use the term to insult women in general while some women have reclaimed the term.

What are other forms of ho?

hoe

Where does ho come from?

The slang ho comes from a pronunciation of whore in African American Vernacular English, which can drop word-final Rs. It’s been recorded as a term for a “prostitute” since the 1950s.

In the 1960s, ho became vulgar slang for any “woman.” In the 1970s, ho added a verb form, “to prostitute oneself.” It expanded to include sexually promiscuous men in the 1980s. Come the 1990s, ho was also insulting men seen as cowardly and effeminate. As is true of many disparaging slang terms, ho was reclaimed among some speakers as a term of address in the 2000s.

In the 2000s, an unrelated ho emerged as a slang abbreviation for half-ounce, referring to a half-ounce of drugs, typically marijuana.

How is ho used in real life?

Ho is a very insulting term for a sex worker or woman (compare bitch or slut). However, like those latter two words, some women may use ho in a reappropriated, affectionate way among friends (e.g., What’s up, ho?). Here, ho might even imply a sort of sassy, sexy personality and empowered womanhood.

While ho can deride men, it’s most often used of women. When insulting men, it may be seen as more cute or playful. In hip-hop, ho is sometimes used as a generic term for a woman (e.g., bitches and hoes). We don’t recommend you go around calling just any woman a ho, however.

More examples of ho:

“You’re going to see Cardi B in a whole new light…She’s doing crazy sketches, like she has this thing called ‘Ho Etiquette’ where she does this character where she tells how do women to handle their inner ho and how to do a relationship.”

—Rip Michaels quoted by Kristin McNamara and Leah Bitsky, Page Six, August 2018

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


HNDHoabinhian