hoot
nounverbnounattested in dialogue
- Australia//hʉːt//
- Australia/[hïɯt]/
- //huːt//
A derisive cry or shout.
noun
- 1
A derisive cry or shout.
My performance drew hoots of derision from the crowd.
- 2
The cry of an owl.
I heard the hoot of an owl. Whoo, whoo!
- 3
slangA fun event or person.
The party at the weekend was such a hoot! Thanks for the invite.
- 4
A small particle; a whit or jot.
We don't care a hoot about what you think.
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.
Etymology
From Middle English houten, huten, hoten, of North Germanic origin, from or related to Old Swedish huta (“to cast out in contempt”), related to Middle High German hiuzen, hūzen (“to call to pursuit”), Swedish hut! (“begone!”, interjection), Dutch hui (“ho, hallo”), Danish huj (“ho, hallo”).
verb
- 1
To cry out or shout in contempt.
Matrons and girls shall hoot at thee no more,
Fitzgerald’s supporters resented Dan’s familiarity with their idol, and began to hoot Dan.
- 2
To make a hoo, the cry of an owl.
The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders / At our quaint spirits.
Outside an owl was hooting most dismally in the darkness. The villa was on a by-road, and there was no human sound to link them up with life.
“Er...Feathered Omen, hoot not,” he continued uneasily, “Son of Tanit, hoot not!”
- 3
To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
Mary felt extremely offended when the workers hooted at her.
And I will be content, that Partridge, and the rest of his Clan, may hoot me for a Cheat and Impostor, if I fail in any single Particular of Moment.
- 4
To sound the horn of a vehicle.
When you arrive to pick me up, hoot, and I'll come outside.
noun
- 1
slangMoney, especially in the form of cash given as payment.
On the construction you could make a pot of hoot in no time. You oughter be able to get two or three quid a day when things is busy.
Etymology
A variant of utu (influenced by etymology 1), borrowed from Māori utu (“payment, revenge, payback”).
Forms
- plural
- hoots
- past tense
- hooted
- past participle
- hooted
- present participle
- hooting
- third person singular
- hoots