draw in one's horns

Variant of horn

horn definition

horn (hôrn)

noun

    1. a hard, hollow, bony or keratinous, permanent projection that grows on the head of various hoofed animals, esp. bovid ruminants
    2. an antler
  1. anything that protrudes naturally from the head of an animal, as one of the tentacles of a snail, a tuft of feathers on certain birds, etc.
  2. the projections imagined as growing on the brow of a cuckold
    1. the substance that horns are made of
    2. any similar, now often synthetic, substance
    1. a container made by hollowing out a horn a powder horn
    2. a drink contained in a horn
  3. cornucopia
  4. anything shaped like or suggesting a horn; specif.,
    1. a peninsula or cape
    2. either end of a crescent
    3. the pointed part of an anvil
    4. ☆ a projection above the pommel of a cowboy's saddle
    1. an instrument made of horn and sounded by blowing, as the shofar
    2. any brass instrument; specif., French horn
    3. Jazz any wind instrument
  5. a device with a kind of blaring sound for signaling or warning
  6. Bible an emblem of glory, strength, or honor
  7. Electronics
    1. a horn-shaped speaker
    2. a horn-shaped antenna
  8. Geol. a jagged mountain peak resulting from the erosion of several cirques, as the Matterhorn in the Alps

Etymology: ME < OE, akin to Ger < IE base *er-, upper part of the body, head > L cornu, Gr keras

transitive verb

  1. to strike, butt, or gore with the horns
  2. to furnish with horns
  3. Archaic to cuckold

adjective

made of horn horn-rimmed glasses

Related Forms:

horn Idioms

around the horn

Baseball (thrown) from third base to second to first in trying for a double play

blow one's own horn

Informal to praise oneself; boast

horn in (on)

to intrude or meddle (in)

lock horns

☆ to have a disagreement or conflict

on the horns of a dilemma

having to make a choice between two things, both usually unpleasant

pull in one's horns

or draw in one's horns or haul in one's horns
  1. to hold oneself back; restrain one's impulses or efforts
  2. to back down; become less dogmatic, positive, zealous, etc.

the horn

Informal the telephone

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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