ho
ho Lexical Profile
ho Game Scores & Validity
• interjection
Used as a call to attract attention, to express surprise or triumph, or after a destination or sighted object (especially in nautical contexts).
"The lookout atop the mast suddenly shouted, "Land ho!""
• noun
A prostitute or a sexually promiscuous person (slang, derogatory).
"The lyrics were criticized for using derogatory slang like "ho" to demean women."
An Austroasiatic Munda language spoken by the Ho people, an indigenous ethnic group primarily inhabiting the states of Jharkhand and Odisha in eastern India.
"She is a linguist documenting the grammar and Warang Citi script of the Ho language."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'ho' with its homophone 'hoe' (the long-handled gardening tool). Furthermore, while the interjection 'ho' is traditional or nautical, the noun 'ho' is a derogatory slang term and should be avoided in formal contexts.
• Rhymes for ho
Word Origin & Etymology
The interjection dates to Middle English as a natural exclamation used to call attention, cognate with Old French 'ho' and Old Norse 'ho'. The slang noun emerged in mid-20th-century African American Vernacular English as a phonetic spelling of 'whore'.