Honk Was the Sound of a Goose Before a Car
A honk is a loud harsh sound. The word named a goose call long before motoring existed.
A honk is a loud harsh sound, made by a goose or a car horn. The goose came first: the word is imitative and recorded from the 1800s for the cry of wild geese, and motorists adopted it for the horn as soon as cars had them. An animal noise named a machine, the same route that gave *purr* to engines. In British slang *honking* can also mean vomiting, or, as an adjective, very large.
- A goose's cry. *The honk of geese.*
- A car horn. *A loud honk.*
- To sound a horn. *He honked twice.*
- Very large (British slang). *A honking great one.*
- Imitative. *From the 1800s.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | honk | A honk. |
| Verb | honk | Honking. |
| Past | honked | Honked. |
| Adjective | honking | Honking. |
| Related | hoot | A hoot. |
- Geese honked overhead.Birds.
- The driver honked impatiently.Traffic.
- The goose came first.Etymology.
Animal sounds lent to machines
- Honk — from a goose to a car horn
- Purr — from a cat to a smooth engine
- Growl — from an animal to a low mechanical noise
- Whine — from an animal to a high motor sound
- Bark — from a dog to a sharp engine report
Imitative of the cry of a goose, recorded from the 1800s, applied to car horns from about 1900.
Did honk describe geese first?
Yes. The word imitated the cry of wild geese and was applied to car horns only once motor vehicles appeared.
What does honking mean in British slang?
Either vomiting, or as an adjective, very large, as in a honking great hole.