ENGLISH
REFERENCE

horned

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈhɔɹnd// UK //hˈɔːnd// horned Archaic

adj. having horns or parts that look like horns on the head. You use this to describe animals like bulls or goats, or objects with a similar shape.

adj. possessing horns or horn-like projections. Typically used attributively to describe biological features or decorative elements.


SIMPLE

The horned owl sat quietly on the branch.

CONTEXTUAL

Farmers often prefer certain breeds of cattle that are not horned to make them easier to manage in small spaces.

COMPLEX

The ancient stone carving depicted a horned deity, a common motif in the region's mythology that symbolized both fertility and the untamed power of the wilderness.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English horned, hornyd, from Old English hyrned, ġehyrned (“having horns; horned”), from Proto-Germanic hurnidaz (“horned”), past participle of Proto-Germanic hurnijaną (“to horn; provide or fit with horns”); equivalent to horn (“noun”) + -ed. Cognate with Dutch gehoornd (“horned”), German gehörnt (“horned”), Danish hornede (“horned”).

Etymology 2

See horn (verb).

Usage

Typically precedes the noun it modifies; often used in compound adjectives like 'long-horned'.

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