Hoots

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /huːts/

Definitions

1. Produces a loud, sharp call like that of an owl ; expresses amusement or scorn by laughing loudly
2. Emits a distinctive harsh sound often associated with owls ; makes a loud, mocking laugh
3. Creates a sharp, repetitive noise similar to certain birds ; shows laughter that is loud and sometimes mocking

Etymology: The verb "hoot" has a surprisingly unowlish ancestry. Its Middle English forms, "houten" and "huten," probably came from North Germanic, and the closest modern relatives are Swedish words used to drive away or silence dogs. "Hut!" was a command to call off barking dogs during a hunt, and "huta" meant to drive someone off with shouts. So the original sense was closer to shouting someone away than to making a bird's cry. The word's roots likely lie in sound itself. Comparable forms across the Germanic languages, including Old Norse "hutututu," Swedish "huttra," and German "huttern," are associated with shivering or calling noises, which points to an onomatopoeic origin. Related interjections like English "hoy" and Dutch "hui" show the same pattern of shouted calls used to attract attention. The plural "hoots" is the third-person singular present form of the verb, meaning a bird such as an owl makes its characteristic call. Its origin is the verb "hoot," traced above.

Synonyms: calls, shouts, whoops, yells, screams