four-in-hand

[ fawr-in-hand, fohr- ]

noun

1. a long necktie to be tied in a slipknot with the ends left hanging.
2. a vehicle drawn by four horses and driven by one person.
3. a team of four horses.

adjective

1. of or relating to a four-in-hand.

four-in-hand

noun

1. Also calledtally-ho a road vehicle drawn by four horses and driven by one driver
2. a four-horse team in a coach or carriage
3. a long narrow tie formerly worn tied in a flat slipknot with the ends dangling

Word History and Origins

Origin of four-in-hand¹

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

This time pledged by a man in a bespoke suit and a four-in-hand.

From Washington Post

Acting ambassador William B. Taylor Jr. was also duly attired in a suit, with a green four-in-hand — his brow furrowing with his efforts to sort the questions from the chaff.

From Washington Post

She drove a four-in-hand on her fourteenth birthday, and her cousin, Mr. Jack, got up on the box beside her and tried to take the reins from her hands.

From Literature

Sen. Cory Booker — black guy, bald head — wore a red four-in-hand.

From Washington Post

It’s a preposterous position with his head turned to his right and his torso directly facing the camera as his hands try to make sense of a four-in-hand with its narrow stripes.

From Washington Post