Hoot
/huːt/noun
To make a loud, harsh cry, especially like an owl; also, to jeer or shout in derision.
Did you know?The owl-cry sense of hoot is ancient English, while the jeering sense grew later from the same noisy idea: a sharp human cry turned into a word for mockery.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hūtan
“to cry out, shout, or make a loud call”
Middle English
ME
houten
“to call out, cry, or shout loudly”
16th Century
English
hoot
“a cry or call, especially a birdlike sound”
18th Century
English
hoot
“to shout in derision or make a mocking cry”
Modern English
English
hoot
“to make a loud cry like an owl, or to jeer loudly”
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