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hoot

Syllabification: (hoot)
Pronunciation: /ho͞ot/
Translate hoot | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of hoot

noun

  • a deep or medium-pitched musical sound, often wavering or interrupted, that is the typical call of many kinds of owl.
  • a raucous sound made by a horn, siren, or steam whistle.
  • a shout expressing scorn or disapproval:there were hoots of derision
  • a short outburst of laughter:the audience broke into hoots of laughter
  • (a hoot) informal an amusing situation or person:your mom’s a real hoot

verb

[no object]
  • (of an owl) utter a hoot.
  • (of a person) make loud sounds of scorn, disapproval, or merriment:she began to hoot with laughter
  • [with object] (hoot something down) express loud scornful disapproval of something:his questions were hooted down or answered obscenely
  • (with reference to a horn, siren, etc.) make or cause to make a hoot.

Phrases

not care (or give) a hoot (or two hoots)

informal not care at all.

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'make sounds of derision'): perhaps imitative

hoot in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of hoot in the British & World English dictionary

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