Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hoser

/ˈhoʊ̯zɚ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.79 in modern English

Syllables
hos-er
IPA
/ˈhoʊ̯zɚ/
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who operates a hose, e.g. a fire hose or a garden hose.

noun

One that hoses, i.e. hurts someone badly.

Slang

noun

A person (especially a farmer) who siphons gasoline out of a vehicle or piece of equipment.

Canadian usage; Slang

noun

A person who hoses down a lake after a game of ice hockey, to return it to a smooth state.

Canadian usage; Slang

noun

A clumsy, boorish person, especially an over-eating, beer-drinking man, or a man prone to petty infractions such as taking other people's food or drinks.

Canadian usage; Slang

noun

A Canadian.

Derogatory; Slang

Example Sentences

Etymology

From hose + -er. The Canadian senses originally derive from hose (“to siphon gasoline from automobile gas tanks”), in reference to farmers who siphoned gas from farming vehicles; they were later reinforced by use to describe the players on the losing side of a game of shinny or hockey, who were required to hose down the rink to return it to a smooth state, and ultimately popularized in the 1980s by a sketch on the television show Second City Television, in which Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas played Bob and Doug McKenzie, who used the term as an insult for each other.

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈhoʊ̯zɚ/
  • British English: /ˈhəʊ̯zə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce hoser?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhoʊ̯zɚ/.
What does hoser mean?
One who operates a hose, e.g. a fire hose or a garden hose.
Where does hoser come from?
From hose + -er. The Canadian senses originally derive from hose (“to siphon gasoline from automobile gas tanks”), in reference to farmers who siphoned gas from farming vehicles; they were later reinforced by use to describe the players on the losing side of a game of shinny or hockey, who were required to hose down the rink to return it to a smooth state, and ultimately popularized in the 1980s by a sketch on the television show Second City Television, in which Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas played Bob and Doug McKenzie, who used the term as an insult for each other.

How to pronounce hoser

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hoser”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhoʊ̯zɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hoser”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “hoser” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.