Word
hose
US/ˈhoʊz/
UK/hˈəʊz/
Definitions
01flexible tube
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a long, flexible tube used to carry water from a tap to a garden or a fire.
n. a flexible pipe for conveying water or other liquids, typically used in gardening, firefighting, or industrial applications.
Español:manguera
“He used the garden hose to water the flowers during the dry summer.”
“The firefighters quickly unrolled the heavy-duty hose and connected it to the hydrant as smoke began to billow from the warehouse roof.”
Usage
The noun is countable when referring to the tool itself.
02leg coverings
B2 · Upper Intermediate Plural noun Archaic · Formal
n. an older word for tight clothing that covers the legs, like tights.
n. a garment for the legs and feet; in modern contexts, refers to hosiery or tights, while historically referring to men's close-fitting breeches.
“In the museum, we saw a pair of silk hose worn by a king hundreds of years ago.”
“The costume designer insisted on authentic woollen hose to ensure the Shakespearean production maintained its historical integrity.”
Usage
Often functions as an uncountable collective noun in modern retail contexts.
03to spray with water
B1 · Intermediate
v. to wash or water something using a hose.
v. to direct a stream of water or other liquid onto a surface using a flexible tube.
Español:lavar con manguera
“I need to hose the mud off my car before we go to the party.”
“After the festival ended, the maintenance crew had to hose down the entire plaza to remove the accumulated debris.”
Usage
Often used with the particle 'down' as in 'hose down'.
04to break or ruin
C1 · Advanced Computing Slang · Informal
v. to completely break a computer system or ruin someone's chances.
v. to cause a total failure of a system, or to disadvantage someone significantly through error or unfairness.
“The new software update completely hosed my laptop and I lost all my files.”
“The team felt they were hosed by the referee's controversial decision in the final minutes of the championship game.”
Teaching tip
This sense is common in tech circles and sports; it implies a sense of being 'cheated' or 'broken' beyond easy repair.
Real-World Examples
“After years of testing — washing cars, gardening, pressure-washing driveways, and doing other hosey home chores — we’ve concluded that the Continental Commercial Grade Rubber Hose (50 feet) is the all-purpose garden hose we’d invest in.” “About 3.6 million hoses are under recall across the U.S. because hundreds have burst while being used, resulting in at least 29 injuries, including reports of temporarily impaired hearing.” Etymology
From Middle English hose ("leggings, hose"), itself from Old English hose or hosa ("hose, leggings"), which descends through Proto-West Germanic hosā and Proto-Germanic husǭ ("coverings, leggings, trousers") to the Proto-Indo-European root (s)kewH- ("to cover").
The word's cognates mark a curious spread: West Frisian hoas ("hose"), Dutch hoos ("stocking, water-hose"), and German Hose ("trousers") keep to the Germanic family, while the Tocharian A kać ("skin"), Russian kišká ("gut"), Ancient Greek kústis ("bladder"), and Sanskrit koṣṭha ("intestine") push the root's meaning toward the internal and the membranous. The semantic thread is covering, containment, the outer holding the inner — a sense that survives in English sky, from the same root via a sense of cloud-cover.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A2 · Elementary
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hose
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0