# horses

/ˈhɔɹsəz/ (US) · /hˈɔːsɪz/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. animals

noun · CEFR A1

more than one horse; large animals with four legs that people ride.

For teachers: the plural form of the large, solid-hoofed herbivorous mammal (Equus ferus caballus).

- The farmer kept several horses in the field behind the barn.
- Wild horses still roam certain protected regions of the American West, though their populations are carefully managed by federal agencies.

### 2. engine power

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a casual way to talk about how much power a car engine has.

For teachers: a slang clipping of horsepower, referring to the power output of an internal combustion engine.

- That old truck has a lot of horses under the hood.
- The mechanic explained that while the engine had plenty of horses, the transmission was too weak to handle the torque.

Usage: Usually used in the plural even when referring to the general concept of power.

### 3. to behave roughly

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to play or move in a rough or silly way, usually with 'around'.

For teachers: the third-person singular present indicative of 'horse'; typically used in the phrasal verb 'horse around' to mean engaging in boisterous play.

- He always horses around when he should be finishing his homework.
- The supervisor noticed that the crew often horses around during the afternoon lull, which occasionally leads to minor safety violations.

## Examples

- The horses run across the green field.
- Farmers used to rely on horses to pull plows before tractors became common in the countryside.
- The domestication of horses fundamentally altered human history by enabling rapid communication, long-distance trade, and more effective military strategies across vast geographical distances.

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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.