hoo
hoo Lexical Profile
hoo Game Scores & Validity
• interjection
Used to express surprise, excitement, relief, or derision, or to represent the hooting call of an owl.
"Hoo, boy, that was a close call on the icy highway!"
• noun
A low, resonant hooting sound, especially the characteristic call of an owl.
"We heard the soft hoo of a great horned owl echoing through the dark woods."
British A projecting ridge of land, a bluff, or a promontory (now surviving chiefly in English place names).
"The ancient burial site at Sutton Hoo sits atop a sandy ridge overlooking the River Deben."
• verb
To make a low, hollow hooting sound like that of an owl.
"An owl hooed quietly from the rafters of the old barn."
• Rhymes for hoo
Word Origin & Etymology
As an exclamation and representation of an owl's call, the word is of imitative origin. The topographical noun meaning a promontory or projecting ridge derives from Old English hōh, literally meaning 'heel'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.