Synonyms for lock horns
| Grammar : Verb |
| Spell : hawrn |
| Phonetic Transcription : hɔrn |
Définition of lock horns
Origin :- "means of fastening," Old English loc "bolt, fastening; barrier, enclosure," from Proto-Germanic *lukan (cf. Old Norse lok "fastening, lock," Gothic usluks "opening," Old High German loh "dungeon," German Loch "opening, hole," Dutch luik "shutter, trapdoor"). "The great diversity of meaning in the Teut. words seems to indicate two or more independent but formally identical substantival formations from the root."
- The Old English sense "barrier, enclosure" led to the specific meaning "barrier on a river" (c.1300), and the more specific sense "gate and sluice system on a water channel used as a means of raising and lowering boats" (1570s). Wrestling sense is from c.1600. Phrase under lock and key attested from early 14c.
- verb fight with
- Take two young, fat steers they'll lock horns at the drop of a hat.
- Extract from : « Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp » by Annie Roe Carr
- He and your father might lock horns first crack out of the box.
- Extract from : « The Forester's Daughter » by Hamlin Garland
- I kind of feel in my bones that him and me is going to lock horns, Curly.
- Extract from : « The Man Next Door » by Emerson Hough
- Now the first and fourth and second and third lock horns and fight.
- Extract from : « Woodland Tales » by Ernest Seton-Thompson
- But there's another day, and the kingpin and I may yet lock horns.
- Extract from : « Our Young Aeroplane Scouts in Germany » by Horace Porter
- He could lock horns and stay there, but it wa'nt no trouble to outflank him.
- Extract from : « The Desert and The Sown » by Mary Hallock Foote
- The latter stood motionless, antlers lowered as before, apparently quite willing to lock horns.
- Extract from : « The House in the Water » by Charles G. D. Roberts
- In an hour we'll lock horns with Hawk Rufe an' hell an' high water, an' the devil keeps what he gits.
- Extract from : « Dwellers in the Hills » by Melville Davisson Post
- Oh, considerable—they pulled and hauled about kinder like two cows when they lock horns.
- Extract from : « Lincolniana » by Andrew Adderup
- It wouldn't do to lock horns with this self-satisfied despot; at any rate, not now.
- Extract from : « The Copper-Clad World » by Harl Vincent
Words or expressions associated with your search
- alarm clock
- all locked up
- antilock brake
- around-the-clock
- ballocks
- block
- block off
- blockade
- blockaded
- blockage
- blocked
- blockhead
- blockhouse
- blocking
- blockout
- bullhorn
- chip off old block
- chock-a-block
- chockablock
- clock
- clock watcher
- clocked in
- clocked in punched in
- davy jones locker
- Davy Jones' locker
- Davy Jones's locker
- davy jones's lockers
- deadlock
- deadlocked
- deadlocking
- dreadlocks
- english-horn
- English horn
- flintlock
- flock
- flocking
- foghorn
- gat horn
- gat on horn
- gat on the horn
- gat the horn
- get horn
- get on the horn
- get someone on the horn
- get the horn
- gets horn
- gets on the horn
- gets the horn
- getting horn
- getting on horn
- getting on the horn
- getting the horn
- gridlock
- had a lock on
- had lock on
- haddest a lock on
- hadst a lock on
- hadst lock on
- hartshorn
- has a lock on
- has lock on
- hast a lock on
- hast lock on
- hath a lock on
- have a lock on
- horn
- hornet's nest
- horny
- in Davy Jones' locker
- in davy jones locker
- interlocking directorate
- just watching the clock
- knock block off
- lock
- lock away
- lock horns
- lock horns with
- lock on
- lock out
- lock stock and barrel
- lock up
- lock-up
- locked
- locked up
- locker
- locket
- locking up
- lockup
- mad as a hornet
- mad as hornet
- new kid on block
- new kid on the block
- new kid the block
- padlock
- padlocked
- padlocking
- punch a clock
- put a lock on
- put under lock and key
- road block
- roadblock
- round-the-clock
- Sherlock Holmes
- shorn
- Shylock
- stumbling block
- take bull by horns
- take bull by the horns
- take the bull by the horns
- takes bull by the horns
- thorn
- thorny
- unblock
- unblocked
- unlock
- unlocked
- unshorn
- warlock
Most wanted synonyms
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019