# horse

/ˈhɔɹs/ (US) · /hˈɔːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/horse
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the animal

noun · CEFR A1

a large animal with four legs and a mane that people ride or use to pull carts.

For teachers: a large, solid-hoofed herbivorous mammal used for riding, racing, and draft work.

- The farmer used a strong horse to pull the plow across the field.
- Historically, the horse was indispensable for both agricultural labor and rapid communication across vast distances before the advent of the steam engine.

### 2. gymnastics equipment

noun · CEFR B2

a piece of equipment with a padded body and four legs used for jumping over in gymnastics.

For teachers: a padded apparatus used in gymnastics for vaulting or pommel exercises.

- The gymnast leaped over the horse with perfect form during the competition.
- The pommel horse is widely considered one of the most technically demanding events in men's artistic gymnastics due to the required upper-body strength.

### 3. heroin

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang name for the illegal drug heroin.

For teachers: a slang term for heroin, typically used in the context of drug trafficking or addiction.

- The old movie showed the dangers of getting hooked on horse.
- Undercover officers used specific street terminology, including 'horse', to blend in during the narcotics investigation.

### 4. basketball game

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Informal

a casual basketball game where players try to copy each other's shots.

For teachers: an informal basketball shooting game where players must replicate an opponent's successful shot or receive a letter of the word.

- After practice, the two friends stayed late to play a game of horse.
- The players spent the afternoon competing in a high-stakes game of HORSE, attempting increasingly circus-like shots from behind the bleachers.

### 5. to play around

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to play in a rough or noisy way, often used with 'around'.

For teachers: to engage in boisterous or frivolous play; almost exclusively used in the phrasal form 'horse around'.

- Stop horsing around and finish your homework before dinner.
- The teacher warned the students that if they continued to horse around near the expensive lab equipment, they would be sent to the principal.

Usage: Usually appears as the phrasal verb 'horse around'.

### 6. to move with effort

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal

to move or pull something heavy with a lot of physical effort.

For teachers: to move, haul, or maneuver a heavy object through sheer physical strength.

- We had to horse the heavy sofa up three flights of stairs.
- The mechanics had to horse the engine block into position manually because the crane was out of service.

## Examples

- She loves to ride her horse in the park.
- The farmer used a team of horses to pull the heavy wagon across the muddy field.
- While modern agriculture relies heavily on mechanical tractors, some small-scale organic farms still prefer using horses to minimize soil compaction and maintain traditional farming practices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.