Hoses

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊzɪz/

Definitions

1. Flexible conduits designed for the transfer of fluids or gases
2. Tubular implements utilized for irrigation, cleaning, or other liquid management purposes
3. Long, bendable tubes used to convey water or other fluids from one place to another

Etymology: The word began as a name for clothing. Old English "hosa" meant leggings or covering for the legs, and the same root gave German "Hose" (trousers) and Dutch "hoos" (stocking). Those leg coverings were the original sense, and the tube for fluids came later as a extension of that idea of a covering or sleeve. The root reaches far back, to a Proto-Indo-European verb meaning "to cover." Its relatives spread into surprisingly distant corners of the family: Russian "kishka" means gut, Ancient Greek "kustis" meant bladder, and Sanskrit "koṣṭha" meant intestine. All of them share the notion of an enclosing skin or wrapping. Plural note: this form is the plural of "hose," so it simply names more than one such tube.

Synonyms: pipes, tubes