horn (redirected from horn shears)

horn, in zoology

horn, in zoology, one of a pair of structures projecting from the head of a hoofed animal, used chiefly as a weapon. In cattle, sheep, Old World antelopes, and related animals the horns are permanent and unbranched and are usually present in both sexes. They are composed of a sheath of keratin—a tough fibrous material derived from epithelial tissue—overlying a bony core projecting from the skull. In the deer family the branched structures, called antlers, are composed entirely of bone with no actual horn substance; they are usually present only in the male and are shed annually. The horns of the pronghorn have characteristics of both true horns and antlers. Rhinoceros horns are not true horn but greatly modified hair, derived entirely from the epidermis. Horns have long been used for many purposes, e.g., drinking cups, spoons, trumpets, containers for gunpowder, and combs. Carved pieces of horn have been found dating from prehistoric times. In art and religion horns symbolize power. The "horns of the altar" (Amos 3.14) symbolized divine protection. Hornlike protuberances appear on other animals, e.g., on the horned toad and the horned pout.

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Horn, early English romance

Horn: see King Horn.

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horn, in music

horn, in symphonic and chamber music: see French horn.

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horn

1. either of a pair of permanent outgrowths on the heads of cattle, antelopes, sheep, etc., consisting of a central bony core covered with layers of keratin

2. the outgrowth from the nasal bone of a rhinoceros, consisting of a mass of fused hairs

3. any hornlike projection or process, such as the eyestalk of a snail

4. the antler of a deer

5. the constituent substance, mainly keratin, of horns, hooves, etc.

6. a primitive musical wind instrument made from the horn of an animal

7. any musical instrument consisting of a pipe or tube of brass fitted with a mouthpiece, with or without valves

8. Jazz slang any wind instrument

9. a device for producing a warning or signalling noise

10. an extension of an aircraft control surface that projects in front of the hinge providing aerodynamic assistance in moving the control

11. 

a. a hollow conical device coupled to the diaphragm of a gramophone to control the direction and quality of the sound

b. any such device used to spread or focus sound, such as the device attached to an electrical loudspeaker in a public address system

c. a microwave aerial, formed by flaring out the end of a waveguide

12. Geology another name for pyramidal peak

13. a stretch of land or water shaped like a horn

14. Bible a symbol of power, victory, or success

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Horn

Cape. See Cape Horn

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horn

believed to promote fertility. [Art: Hall, 157]

See : Fertility