ho

¹

[ hoh ]

interjection

1. (used as a call to attract attention, sometimes specially used after a word denoting a destination):

   Westward ho! Land ho!

2. (used as an exclamation of surprise or delight.)

ho

²

[ hoh ]

interjection

1. (used as a command to a horse to stop.)

ho

³

or hoe

[ hoh ]

noun

, Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

, plural hos, hoes, ho's.

1. a sexually promiscuous woman.
2. a prostitute; whore.
3. a woman.

Ho

⁴

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. holmium.

HO

⁵

[ hoh ]

noun

1. (in police use) habitual offender.

ho.

⁶

abbreviation for

1. house.

H.O.

⁷

abbreviation for

1. Head Office; Home Office.

ho

¹

/ həʊ /

noun

1. slang:Black.
   a derogatory term for a woman

ho

²

/ həʊ /

interjection

1. Alsoho-ho an imitation or representation of the sound of a deep laugh
2. an exclamation used to attract attention, announce a destination, etc

   westward ho!

   land ho!

   what ho!

HO

³

abbreviation for

1. head office
2. government Home Office

Ho

⁴

the chemical symbol for

1. holmium

ho.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. house

Word History and Origins

Origin of ho¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English; a natural exclamation

Origin of ho²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English ho, who, from Old French ho, and Old Norse hō; whoa

Origin of ho³

First recorded in 1965–70; dialectal or African American Vernacular English pronunciation of whore

Word History and Origins

Origin of ho¹

C20: from Black or Southern US pronunciation of whore

Origin of ho²

C13: of imitative origin; compare Old Norse hó, Old French ho! halt!

Example Sentences

Other prominent pro-democracy figures who were convicted include Gwyneth Ho, a former journalist who went into politics, and former lawmakers Claudia Mo and Leung Kwok-hung.

From BBC

The son of immigrants himself, Ho has written eloquently in support of this principle, refuting conservative arguments for its abolition.

From Slate

It should surprise no one, then, that less than a week after the election, Ho is already walking back his once-steadfast commitment to this fundamental right.

From Slate

In an interview with the conservative law professor Josh Blackman published on Monday, Ho sketched out his excuse to repudiate birthright citizenship by framing immigrants who lack permanent legal status as “invading aliens” whose children born on U.S. soil may be denied citizenship by states and the federal government.

From Slate

But Ho’s audience is not lawyers, journalists, or immigration experts; it’s Trump and his allies, whom he clearly seeks to convince of his total ideological commitment to MAGA.

From Slate

About This Word

What does ho mean?

Not to be confused with hoe (the gardening tool), a ho is an offensive term for a sex worker or a promiscuous woman. Some people use the term to insult women in general while some women have reclaimed the term.

What are other forms of ho?

hoe

Where does ho come from?

The slang ho comes from a pronunciation of whore in African American Vernacular English, which can drop word-final Rs. It’s been recorded as a term for a “prostitute” since the 1950s.

In the 1960s, ho became vulgar slang for any “woman.” In the 1970s, ho added a verb form, “to prostitute oneself.” It expanded to include sexually promiscuous men in the 1980s. Come the 1990s, ho was also insulting men seen as cowardly and effeminate. As is true of many disparaging slang terms, ho was reclaimed among some speakers as a term of address in the 2000s.

In the 2000s, an unrelated ho emerged as a slang abbreviation for half-ounce, referring to a half-ounce of drugs, typically marijuana.

How is ho used in real life?

Ho is a very insulting term for a sex worker or woman (compare bitch or slut). However, like those latter two words, some women may use ho in a reappropriated, affectionate way among friends (e.g., What’s up, ho?). Here, ho might even imply a sort of sassy, sexy personality and empowered womanhood.

@56kMarc happy birthday ho

— thareal_DDawg🔌🏚 (@gang_broskiDee) September 9, 2018

While ho can deride men, it’s most often used of women. When insulting men, it may be seen as more cute or playful. In hip-hop, ho is sometimes used as a generic term for a woman (e.g., bitches and hoes). We don’t recommend you go around calling just any woman a ho, however.

I'M SO GLAD EVERYONE KNEW WHAT AN EMOTIONAL HO I AM!!

— Aimee…af 🔪❤ (@AimNicRob) September 9, 2018

More examples of ho:

“You’re going to see Cardi B in a whole new light…She’s doing crazy sketches, like she has this thing called ‘Ho Etiquette’ where she does this character where she tells how do women to handle their inner ho and how to do a relationship.”

—Rip Michaels quoted by Kristin McNamara and Leah Bitsky, Page Six, August 2018