horse
♦♦ horse /h'ɔːrs/ (horses)
1 [N-COUNT]
A horse is a large animal which people can ride. Some horses are used for pulling ploughs and carts.
A small man on a grey horse had appeared.
2 [N-PLURAL] the N, usu on the N
When you talk about the horses, you mean horse races in which people bet money on the horse which they think will win. (INFORMAL)
He still likes to bet on the horses.
3 [N-COUNT]
A vaulting horse is a tall piece of gymnastics equipment for jumping over.
4 [PHRASE] v PHR
If you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it from someone who knows that it is definitely true.
He has got to hear it from the horse's mouth. Then he can make a judgment as to whether his policy is correct or not.
5
see also clothes horse, dark horse, seahorse, seahorseclothes horse (clothes horses)
1 [N-COUNT]
A clothes horse is a folding frame used inside someone's house to hang washing on while it dries.
2 [N-COUNT]
If you describe someone, especially a woman, as a clothes horse, you mean that they are fashionable and think a lot about their clothes, but have little intelligence or no other abilities.dark horse (dark horses)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe someone as a dark horse, you mean that people know very little about them, although they may have recently had success or may be about to have success.horse chest|nut (horse chestnuts)
also horse-chestnut
1 [N-COUNT]
A horse chestnut is a large tree which has leaves with several pointed parts and shiny reddish-brown nuts called conkers that grow in cases with points on them.
2 [N-COUNT]
Horse chestnuts are the nuts of a horse chestnut tree. They are more commonly called conkers.horse rac|ing
also horse-racing, horseracing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Horse racing is a sport in which horses ridden by people called jockeys run in races, sometimes jumping over fences.horse rid|ing
also horse-riding
[N-UNCOUNT]
Horse riding is the activity of riding a horse, especially for enjoyment or as a form of exercise. (BRIT; in AM, use horseback riding)horse show (horse shows)
[N-COUNT]
A horse show is a sporting event in which people riding horses compete in order to demonstrate their skill and control.rock|ing horse (rocking horses)
[N-COUNT]
A rocking-horse is a toy horse which a child can sit on and which can be made to rock backwards and forwards.stalk|ing horse (stalking horses)
1 [N-COUNT]
If you describe a person or thing as a stalking horse, you mean that it is being used to obtain a temporary advantage so that someone can get what they really want.
I think the development is a stalking horse for exploitation of the surrounding countryside.
2 [N-COUNT] oft N n
In politics, a stalking horse is someone who stands against a leader in order to see how strong the opposition is. The stalking horse then withdraws in favour of a stronger challenger.
The possibility of another stalking horse challenge this autumn cannot be ruled out.Tro|jan horse /tr'oʊdʒən h'ɔːrs/ (Trojan horses)
1 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft N for/of n
If you describe a person or thing as a Trojan horse, you mean that they are being used to hide someone's true purpose or intentions.
Was Colombo the emissary of Pope Paul, his Trojan horse within the Commission?...
2 [N-COUNT]
A Trojan horse is a computer virus which is inserted into a program or system and is designed to take effect after a particular period of time or a certain number of operations. (COMPUTING)
1 [N-COUNT]
A horse is a large animal which people can ride. Some horses are used for pulling ploughs and carts.
A small man on a grey horse had appeared.
2 [N-PLURAL] the N, usu on the N
When you talk about the horses, you mean horse races in which people bet money on the horse which they think will win. (INFORMAL)
He still likes to bet on the horses.
3 [N-COUNT]
A vaulting horse is a tall piece of gymnastics equipment for jumping over.
4 [PHRASE] v PHR
If you hear something from the horse's mouth, you hear it from someone who knows that it is definitely true.
He has got to hear it from the horse's mouth. Then he can make a judgment as to whether his policy is correct or not.
5
see also clothes horse, dark horse, seahorse, seahorseclothes horse (clothes horses)
1 [N-COUNT]
A clothes horse is a folding frame used inside someone's house to hang washing on while it dries.
2 [N-COUNT]
If you describe someone, especially a woman, as a clothes horse, you mean that they are fashionable and think a lot about their clothes, but have little intelligence or no other abilities.dark horse (dark horses)
[N-COUNT]
If you describe someone as a dark horse, you mean that people know very little about them, although they may have recently had success or may be about to have success.horse chest|nut (horse chestnuts)
also horse-chestnut
1 [N-COUNT]
A horse chestnut is a large tree which has leaves with several pointed parts and shiny reddish-brown nuts called conkers that grow in cases with points on them.
2 [N-COUNT]
Horse chestnuts are the nuts of a horse chestnut tree. They are more commonly called conkers.horse rac|ing
also horse-racing, horseracing
[N-UNCOUNT]
Horse racing is a sport in which horses ridden by people called jockeys run in races, sometimes jumping over fences.horse rid|ing
also horse-riding
[N-UNCOUNT]
Horse riding is the activity of riding a horse, especially for enjoyment or as a form of exercise. (BRIT; in AM, use horseback riding)horse show (horse shows)
[N-COUNT]
A horse show is a sporting event in which people riding horses compete in order to demonstrate their skill and control.rock|ing horse (rocking horses)
[N-COUNT]
A rocking-horse is a toy horse which a child can sit on and which can be made to rock backwards and forwards.stalk|ing horse (stalking horses)
1 [N-COUNT]
If you describe a person or thing as a stalking horse, you mean that it is being used to obtain a temporary advantage so that someone can get what they really want.
I think the development is a stalking horse for exploitation of the surrounding countryside.
2 [N-COUNT] oft N n
In politics, a stalking horse is someone who stands against a leader in order to see how strong the opposition is. The stalking horse then withdraws in favour of a stronger challenger.
The possibility of another stalking horse challenge this autumn cannot be ruled out.Tro|jan horse /tr'oʊdʒən h'ɔːrs/ (Trojan horses)
1 [N-COUNT] usu sing, oft N for/of n
If you describe a person or thing as a Trojan horse, you mean that they are being used to hide someone's true purpose or intentions.
Was Colombo the emissary of Pope Paul, his Trojan horse within the Commission?...
2 [N-COUNT]
A Trojan horse is a computer virus which is inserted into a program or system and is designed to take effect after a particular period of time or a certain number of operations. (COMPUTING)