horseshoe

[ hawrs-shoo, hawrsh- ]

noun

1. a U -shaped metal plate, plain or with calks, nailed to a horse's hoof to protect it from being injured by hard or rough surfaces.
2. something U -shaped, as a valley, river bend, or other natural feature:

   We picnicked in the middle of a horseshoe of trees.

3. horseshoes, (used with a singular verb) a game in which horseshoes or other U -shaped pieces of metal, plastic, etc., are tossed at an iron stake 30 or 40 feet (9 or 12 meters) away in order to encircle it or to come closer to it than one's opponent.

verb (used with object)

, horse·shoed, horse·shoe·ing.

1. to put a horseshoe or horseshoes on.

adjective

1. having the shape of a horseshoe; U -shaped:

   a horseshoe bend in the river.

horseshoe

/ ˈhɔːsˌʃuː /

noun

1. a piece of iron shaped like a U with the ends curving inwards that is nailed to the underside of the hoof of a horse to protect the soft part of the foot from hard surfaces: commonly thought to be a token of good luck
2. an object of similar shape

verb

1. tr to fit with a horseshoe; shoe

Other Words From

• horseshoer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of horseshoe¹

1350–1400; Middle English. See horse, shoe

Example Sentences

Smaller celts were fashioned from pieces of swords, horseshoes, and even metal barrel hoops.

From Popular-Science

Then they overlaid that data with the habitat of horseshoe bats in Asia and Europe.

From Vox

By combining data on horseshoe bat habitats, land-use change, human population density, and other factors known to increase the risk of spillover, the researchers produced a map of “hot spots” in Asia and Europe where the risk is highest.

From Vox

First, they discovered that SARS-like viruses make their natural home in horseshoe bats.

From MIT Technology Review

While camped at the water’s edge of West Chickenbone Lake, a horseshoe-shaped inland tarn, I heard a splash.

From Outside Online

An after-party was held at the Diamond Horseshoe nightclub at the Paramount Hotel on West 46th Street.

From The Daily Beast

The dancers are spread along the thrust stage that bisects the restored, re-glammed swing-era supper club, The Diamond Horseshoe.

From The Daily Beast

He had a scraggly beard and his once clean-shaven head was ringed by a horseshoe of graying hair.

From The Daily Beast

Basketball, foosball, bocce ball—there's even a horseshoe pit.

From The Daily Beast

On three sides the surrounding ground rose steeply, forming an irregular horseshoe mound that opened to the west.

From Project Gutenberg

Up and up went the trail, twisting back and forth in long horseshoe curves.

From Project Gutenberg

It is vaulted in stone, and the plain horseshoe arches at the end without any ribs (see illustration), are worthy of notice.

From Project Gutenberg

My uncle John was the third man who scaled the walls at the battle of the Horseshoe.

From Project Gutenberg

In a scarf of brilliant and gaudy tint he wore a large pin in the form of a horseshoe, with imitation brilliants in it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• arc
• arch
• contour
• loop
• trajectory