horse
gb/hˈɔɹs/ us/hˈɔɹs/
A1
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Large animal used for riding or work
A big animal with four legs that people ride or use to carry things.
Usage pattern:
to ride a horse
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'horse' with 'pony'—a pony is a small breed, not a young horse.
Synonyms
steed (More literary or poetic term for a horse, often implying nobility or speed.)
Antonyms
pony (A smaller breed of horse, not a true opposite but contrasting in size.)
Collocations
ride a horse
|horse racing
|wild horse
|horse farm
|horse show
Themes
animals
|transportation
|sports
|daily_life
Examples
- The farmer kept three horses in the stable.
- She learned to ride a horse when she was seven.
- Horses were once the main form of transport.
- We saw wild horses running across the plain.
- The knight mounted his horse and rode away.
Learner examples
- I can ride a horse.
- The horse is in the field.
- He has a black horse.
- They use horses on the farm.
Noun
informal
B1
entity
2
Gymnastics equipment shaped like a horse
A piece of gym equipment with a flat top used for jumping over or doing tricks.
Common mistake:
Some learners think 'horse' in this sense refers to an animal; here it means gym equipment.
Synonyms
pommel horse (Specific term for the men's gymnastics apparatus with handles.)
Collocations
vaulting horse
|pommel horse
Themes
sports
|fitness
Examples
- The gymnast ran toward the horse and vaulted over it.
- He practiced his routine on the pommel horse.
- The coach adjusted the height of the vaulting horse.
Learner examples
- He jumps over the horse in gymnastics.
- The gymnast uses the pommel horse.
- She trains on the vaulting horse.
Verb
informal
B1
action
3
Playfully push or handle roughly
To play in a rough and silly way by pushing or holding someone.
Usage pattern:
to horse around with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'horse' here refers to the animal; it's an idiomatic verb meaning to play roughly.
Synonyms
mess around (Similar casual play or wasting time, not always physical.)
Antonyms
behave (Opposite in the sense of acting properly and calmly.)
Collocations
horse around
|horsing around
Themes
relationships
|daily life
|daily_life
Examples
- The kids were horsing around in the backyard.
- Stop horsing around and do your homework.
- They horsed around until they were out of breath.
Learner examples
- The boys horse around in the park.
- Don't horse around in class.
- We horse around after school.
Grammar
Dictionary form
horse
IPA
GB/hˈɔɹs/
US/hˈɔɹs/
Syllables & stress
horse (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (horse)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: horse
- Plural: horse, horses
Verb
- Base: horse
- 3rd Person Singular: horses
- Present Participle: horsing
- Past: horsed
Word family
Expressions
a dark horse
1/ə dˈɑɹk hˈɔɹs/
idiom
Unexpected winner or success
A person who does well even though people did not expect them to.
Examples
- He was a dark horse in the competition and ended up winning first place.
- Nobody knew much about her, but she turned out to be a dark horse in politics.
back the wrong horse
1/bˈæk ðə ɹˈɔŋ hˈɔɹs/
idiom
Support likely failure
To choose or support someone who will not win or do well.
Examples
- We backed the wrong horse when we invested in that company.
- He backed the wrong horse by supporting the losing candidate.
hold your horses
1/hˈoʊld jˈʊɹ hˈɔɹsɪz/
idiom
informal
Wait and be patient
Wait and don't do anything too fast.
Examples
- Hold your horses! We haven't finished packing yet.
- I know you're excited, but hold your horses until we get more information.
horse around
1/hˈɔɹs ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
Play roughly or act silly
To play in a rough and silly way.
Examples
- Stop horsing around and finish your work.
- The children were horsing around in the living room.
straight from the horse's mouth
1/stɹˈeɪt fɹˈʌm ðə hˈɔɹsɪz mˈaʊθ/
idiom
informal
Directly from original source
Information that comes from the person who knows most about it.
Examples
- I heard it straight from the horse's mouth—she's getting promoted.
- If you want to know the truth, ask him. Get it straight from the horse's mouth.