Hosepipes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A flexible tube used for conveying water, especially to water gardens or wash vehicles
2. A larger type of pipe designed to carry liquid, often used in agricultural settings
3. A tool used in firefighting for the purpose of transporting water to extinguish flames

Etymology: "Hosepipes" is simply the plural of "hosepipe," a compound of "hose" and "pipe." Both parts are old English words in their own right: "hose" traces back to Old English "hosa," originally a covering for the leg, and "pipe" comes from a Germanic root linked to the idea of a tube or whistle. Put together, the compound describes a flexible tube that carries water, a function that is the reverse of the leg covering's original sense of wrapping something. The plural follows the regular pattern, with the "s" simply added to the end of the compound. The word takes its form from the two parts it joins, so there is no separate history for the plural itself.

Synonyms: hoses