Horn

Horn, horn, n. the hard substance projecting from the heads of certain animals, as oxen, &c.: something made of or like a horn, as a powder-horn, a drinking-horn: a symbol of strength: (mus.) a hunting-horn: an orchestral wind-instrument of the trumpet class, with a slender twisted brass tube and bell mouth—also distinctively French horn.—v.t. to furnish with horns.—adj. Horned.—ns. Horn′beak, the garfish; Horn′beam, a tree of Europe and America, the hard white wood of which is used by joiners, &c.; Horn′bill, a bird about the size of the turkey, having a horny excrescence on its bill; Horn′book, a first book for children, which formerly consisted of a single leaf set in a frame, with a thin plate of transparent horn in front to preserve it; Horn′-bug, a common North American beetle; Horned′-horse, the gnu; Horned′-owl, Horn′owl, a species of owl, so called from two tufts of feathers on its head, like horns; Horn′er, one who works or deals in horns: a trumpeter.—adj. Horn′-foot′ed, having a hoof or horn on the foot.—ns. Horn′-gate, one of the two gates of Dreams, through which pass those visions that come true, while out of the ivory-gate pass the unreal; Horn′ie, the devil, usually represented with horns; Horn′ing, appearance of the moon when in its crescent form: (U.S.) a mock serenade with tin horns and any discordant instruments by way of showing public disapproval.—adjs. Horn′ish, like horn: hard; Horn′less, without horns.—n. Horn′let, a little horn.—adj. Horn′-mad, mad with rage, as the cuckold at the moment of discovery.—ns. Hornmad′ness (Browning); Horn′-mak′er (Shak.), a cuckold-maker; Horn′-mer′cury, mercurous chloride or calomel; Horn′-sil′ver, silver chloride; Horn′stone, a stone much like flint, but more brittle [horn and stone]; Horn′work (fort.), an outwork having angular points or horns, and composed of two demi-bastions joined by a curtain; Horn′wrack, the sea-mat or lemon-weed.—adjs. Horn′y, like horn: hard: callous; Horn′y-hand′ed, with hands hardened by toil.—Horn of plenty, the symbol of plenty, carried by Ceres in her left arm, filled to overflowing with fruits and flowers (see Cornucopia); Horns of a dilemma (see Dilemma); Horns of the altar, the projections at the four corners of the Hebrew altar, to which the victim was bound when about to be sacrificed.—Letters of horning (Scots law), letters running in the sovereign's name, and passing the signet, instructing messengers-at-arms to charge the debtor to pay, on his failure a caption or warrant for his apprehension being granted; Pull, or Draw, in one's horns, to restrain one's ardour or one's pretensions; Put to the horn (old Scots law), to outlaw by three blasts of the horn at the Cross of Edinburgh; Wear horns, to be a cuckold. [A.S. horn; Scand. and Ger. horn, Gael. and W. corn, L. cornu, Gr. keras.]