plural horns
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: such 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
e
: a hollow horn used to hold something
2
: something resembling or suggestive of a horn: such 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
: cornu
3
a
: an animal's horn used as a wind instrument
c
: a wind instrument used in a jazz band
especially
: trumpet
d
: 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
slang
: telephone
horn
adjective
hornlessness
noun
Examples of horn in a Sentence
musketeers carrying their gunpowder in powder horns
Recent Examples on the Web
Draymond Green got ejected late, and Steve Kerr screamed at officials after the final horn.
—
Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Now, the nonprofit is also using the cat-size rodents to smell their way through the crafty disguises employed by wildlife traffickers looking to smuggle ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horns.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
According to the paper, 8 of the 11 rats were able to identify pangolin scales, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and African blackwood among 146 non-target substances.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
The triggering scents included pangolin scales, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and African blackwood, all of which are smuggled and all of which are considered in danger of extinction.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horn 
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Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Now, the nonprofit is also using the cat-size rodents to smell their way through the crafty disguises employed by wildlife traffickers looking to smuggle ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horns.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024
According to the paper, 8 of the 11 rats were able to identify pangolin scales, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and African blackwood among 146 non-target substances.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
The triggering scents included pangolin scales, elephant ivory, rhino horn, and African blackwood, all of which are smuggled and all of which are considered in danger of extinction.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for horn
Dictionary Entries Near horn
Cite this Entry
“Horn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horn. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
horn
noun1
: one of the hard bony growths on the head of many hoofed animals (as cattle, goats, or sheep)
2
: a part like an animal's horn
3
: the material of which horns are composed or a similar material
4
: a hollow horn used to hold something
powder horn
5
: something resembling a horn
saddle horn
horns of the crescent moon
6
a
: a brass wind instrument (as a trumpet or French horn)
b
: a device that makes a noise like that of a horn
an automobile horn
Medical Definition
horn
noun1
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
especially
: 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
2
: cornu
Geographical Definition
Horn
geographical name
variants
or North Cape
cape just south of the Arctic Circle in northwestern Iceland
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