Hitching Post
/ˈhɪtʃɪŋ poʊst/noun
A post or rail used for tying a horse while its rider is temporarily away.
Did you know?The word post comes through Latin postis, meaning “doorpost” or “upright support,” while hitch is of uncertain origin and became strongly associated with fastening horses in place.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steh₂-
“To stand or remain upright; this root is a possible distant source for Latin terms associated with standing and supports.”
Classical Latin
Latin
postis
“A doorpost, gatepost, or upright piece of timber.”
Old English
Old English
post
“An upright timber or supporting pillar, borrowed from Latin.”
Middle English
English
hitchen
“To fasten, attach, or move with a sudden jerk; the verb’s deeper origin is uncertain.”
16th–17th Century
English
hitching
“Fastening or tying something, increasingly including an animal to a fixed object.”
18th–19th Century
English
hitching post
“A designated post for securing a horse outside a house, shop, tavern, or public building.”