hose

1 of 2

noun

plural hose or hoses
1
plural hose
a(1)
: a cloth leg covering that sometimes covers the foot
(2)
b(1)
: a close-fitting garment covering the legs and waist that is usually attached to a doublet by points
(2)
: short breeches reaching to the knee
2
: a flexible tube for conveying fluids (as from a faucet or hydrant)

hose

2 of 2

verb

hosed; hosing

transitive verb

1
a
: to spray, water, or wash with a hose
often used with down
hose down a stable floor
b
slang : to fire automatic weapons at
usually used with down
2
slang : to deprive of something due or expected : trick, cheat

Examples of hose in a Sentence

Noun There are several hoses stored in the shed. We need another 50 feet of hose. Verb when the guy failed to return with our money, we realized that we had been hosed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
At least three ladder trucks with snorkel units, or cherry pickers, were pouring water on the blaze as more firefighters wielded hoses and other gear on the ground, aerial footage from CNN affiliates WDIV and WXYZ shows. Rob Frehse, CNN, 5 Mar. 2024 The workers sawed through flexible yellow gas hose, pulled it from the walls and hauled it out to the sidewalk. Jeff Brady, NPR, 4 Mar. 2024 Like his crewmates, Dominick will sleep tethered to a wall, eat many of his meals out of a pouch and urinate into a funnel and hose. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 Sheer black hose make any outfit sultry, and skin-color ones are like leg makeup. Medea Giordano, WIRED, 3 Mar. 2024 The watering schedule doesn’t apply to local homes and businesses using drip irrigation methods such as a watering hose and spray nozzles. Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 As the cutterhead at the front of the Prufrock cut into the ground and moved forward, workers would place the rings that made up the walls of the tunnel, then pump a cement mixture through a hose as grouting—to fill the gaps between the earth and tunnel and secure the structure in place. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 One landfill employee was taken to a hospital after the hose burst, Little said, but the extent of that person’s injuries were unknown. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2024 And the bike looks slick; Moots integrates all the wires and hoses into the hollow frame, providing a more streamlined aesthetic. Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2024
Verb
Los Angeles leaders condemned viral video of a contractor for a nonprofit organization hosing down a sidewalk as a homeless person scrambles to collect their belongings. Patrick Smith, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024 When the injection rate decreased, the compressed air expanded and expelled water through a metal pipe or hose toward the fire. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2024 Thoroughly hose down the piece, and using a wire brush, firmly brush down the entire surface to remove mold lines and reveal the stone-like look of the perlite. Kenneth Setzer, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Once the encampment residents are gone, sanitation workers break up the camps, toss trash and hose down sidewalks. Robin Urevich, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2023 Blood was pooled on the pavement, and police officers were hosing it down. Umar Farooq, ProPublica, 28 Dec. 2023 At the side of the bus, the crowd tried to hose them down using small fire extinguishers. Nathan Thrall, Curbed, 25 Oct. 2023 But on a recent Wednesday in October, the annual attraction was hosed down not with fake blood but a slew of corporate owner NBCUniversal’s intellectual property. Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Oct. 2023 As the guests reflected on the beauty of this pastoral pastime, Mr. Ernst was off to the side, hosing down and storing away the sorting table and machinery, a reminder that wine is not always glamorous. Eric Asimov, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English hosa stocking, husk; akin to Old High German hosa leg covering

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hose was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hose

Cite this Entry

“Hose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hose. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hose

1 of 2 noun
1
plural hose
a
b
: a close-fitting garment covering the legs and waist worn by men in about 1600
c
: short pants reaching to the knee
2
plural hose or hoses : a flexible tube for carrying fluid

hose

2 of 2 verb
hosed; hosing
: to spray, water, or wash with a hose

More from Merriam-Webster on hose

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