hooter

/ˈhuːtə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhuːtər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhü-tər/ (ame, mw)

hooter — noun

  • hootersingular
  • hootersplural

1. a horn or siren built into a vehicle, ship, or factory that gives a loud warning

1.名詞C1
釋義

a horn or siren built into a vehicle, ship, or factory that gives a loud warning sound, often used to start or finish a work shift.

例句

The factory hooter sounded at six, and Piotr packed up his tools for the night.

subject: factory/ship hooter as signal of shift change

Nadia pressed the hooter twice to warn the cyclist near the bus lane.

collocation: press / sound the hooter as a warning

同義詞
  • horn

    the standard word in both British and American English for a vehicle's warning device

  • siren

    a similar device but typically louder and used for emergency alerts, not shift changes

  • klaxon

    old-fashioned word for a loud electric horn, often associated with vintage cars or air raids

文法句型

the hooter went off

sound the hooter

用法筆記

British English; in American English, this is usually called a 'horn' (vehicle) or 'siren' (factory). Subject is typically the device itself ('the hooter sounded'), or someone activates it ('sound / press the hooter').

常見錯誤

❌I hooter my car at the dog.
✅I sounded the hooter at the dog.
💡'hooter' is a noun, not a verb; you sound or press a hooter.

2. a humorous or teasing word for a person's nose, especially one that looks unusua

2.名詞C2
釋義

a humorous or teasing word for a person's nose, especially one that looks unusually large.

例句

Mateo laughed and said his uncle had inherited the family hooter.

humorous / teasing register about a large nose

Erik blew his hooter loudly into a handkerchief during the church service.

collocation: blow one's hooter (= blow one's nose)

同義詞
  • schnoz

    American informal equivalent; same teasing flavour

  • beak

    British informal; often suggests a long, pointed nose

  • conk

    British slang for nose, often a large one; quite old-fashioned now

文法句型

a big hooter

blow one's hooter

用法筆記

Playful, teasing tone; safe between friends or family but rude to a stranger. Almost always used about a nose that stands out as large; rarely about a small or ordinary nose.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor examined my hooter for a sinus problem.
✅The doctor examined my nose for a sinus problem.
💡in a medical or neutral setting, use 'nose'; 'hooter' is a joke word.

3. a crude slang term that refers to a woman's breasts in a way most listeners find

3.名詞C2
釋義

a crude slang term that refers to a woman's breasts in a way most listeners find disrespectful and degrading.

例句

The barman was sacked after the waitress complained about his crude jokes about her hooters.

register: vulgar/offensive; usually plural

Zola turned away when a stranger across the street shouted about her hooters.

同義詞
  • boobs

    informal but much milder; widely used in casual speech without strong offence

  • tits

    vulgar slang of similar strength to 'hooters'; both are offensive in most settings

文法句型

a pair of hooters

her hooters

用法筆記

Offensive in nearly every context; expect anger, complaints, or formal trouble if used about or to a real person. The plural is far more common than the singular. Often heard in lad-mag or locker-room speech, never in respectful writing.

常見錯誤

❌She has nice hooters.
✅She has a nice figure.
💡describing a woman's body with 'hooters' is rude; use neutral language or simply do not comment.