hoss

plural hosses · alternative hawss

1. Southern UScountablepronunciation spellingslanguncountablePronunciation spelling of horse.

   “That ole black hoss let out a whinny.”

   1952, Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man, Penguin Books (2014), page 563

   2 more examples

   “I’m what Jim Cummins, the hoss trainer, would call ‘track sore,’” Mr. [Hiram] Jamison explained to his helpreet. “I never did like to have any one walk on my feet, not even myself, and here we are tramping this dad-blasted grill with the mercury trying to butt off the top of the tube.”

   1908 August 2, “Hunting a Home in New York […]”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   "Them hosses are feeling their oats," said McGuire. "Can't tell what they'd be up to the minute I turned my back on 'em. Might jump that old fence and be off, for all I know."

   1922, Max Brand [pseudonym; Frederick Schiller Faust], Alcatraz

2. Southern UScountableslanguncountableA big, strong and respected or dependable person, usually a man; one who is large like a horse.

   So here I was, fondling all sorts of fine mats, when a hoss of a woman screeched into her cell phone, rattling the lamps in the light fixture aisle.

   2004 December 8, Susan Reinhardt, “Facing my fear: Doing Disney with the crowds”, in Asbury Park Press, page 18

3. Southern UScapitalizedcountableoftenslanguncountableTerm of address for a man.

   What's up, hoss?

   1 more example

   It's easy as picklin' eggs, Hoss.

   2015 November 23, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, “Dulcinea”, in The Expanse, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar)

   Synonyms: dude, man, brother, guy, hap, comrade, bub, bap

4. NorthwesternUScountableslanguncountableA car.

1. Alternative letter-case form of hoss (Southern US term of address for a man).

   How's it going, Hoss?

1. A surname.