hoot

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -uːt

Noun

hoot (plural hoots)

1. A derisive cry or shout.
2. The cry of an owl.
3. (US, slang) A fun event or person. (See hootenanny)
4. A small particle
   • 1878, John Hanson Beadle, Western Wilds, and the Men who Redeem Them, page 611, Jones Brothers, 1878 OCLC 7349592

     Well, it was Sunday morning, and the wheat nothing like ripe; but it was a chance, and I got onto my reaper and banged down every hoot of it before Monday night.

Usage notes

• (small particle) The term is nearly always encountered in a negative sense in such phrases as don't care a hoot or don't give two hoots.
• (derisive cry) The phrase a hoot and a holler has a very different meaning to hoot and holler. The former is a short distance, the latter is a verb of derisive cry.

Translations

derisive cry or shout

• Finnish: pilkkahuuto, buuaus
• French: huées (fr) f pl
• Russian: гиканье (ru) n (gíkanʹje), улюлюканье (ru) n (uljuljúkanʹje), уханье (ru) n (úxanʹje)

• Spanish: ululato m, grito (es) m, chillo (es) m

cry of an owl

• Esperanto: ululo
• Finnish: huhuilu
• French: hululement (fr) m, ululement (fr) m

• Maori: koukou, whero, whero, terekou
• Russian: уханье (ru) n (úxanʹje)
• Spanish: ululato m, grito (es) m, chillo (es) m

fun event, blast

Verb

hoot (third-person singular simple present hoots, present participle hooting, simple past and past participle hooted)

1. To cry out or shout in contempt.
   • Dryden

     Matrons and girls shall hoot at thee no more.

2. To make the cry of an owl.
   • Shakespeare

     the clamorous owl that nightly hoots

3. To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
   • Jonathan Swift

     Partridge and his clan may hoot me for a cheat.

Translations

To cry out or shout in contempt

• Finnish: buuata
• French: huer (fr)

• Russian: гикать (ru) (gíkatʹ), улюлюкать (ru) (uljuljúkatʹ), ухать (ru) (úxatʹ)

To make the cry of an owl

• Esperanto: ululi
• Finnish: huhuilla

• French: hululer (fr), ululer (fr)
• Russian: ухать (ru) (úxatʹ)

To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts

• French: huer (fr), railler (fr)

See also

• hooter
• hootenanny

Anagrams

• otoh, OTOH

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Middle English

Adjective

hoot

1. hot

Descendants

• English: hot

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Scots

Interjection

hoot

1. Precedes a disagreeing or contradictory statement.

Usage notes

• Frequently used in the set phrase Hoots mon.