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Glite Dictionary
post horn

post horn

9.9
A small brass instrument like a trumpet that coach drivers use to signal when a coach arrives or leaves
  • noun
  • /poʊst hɔrn/
  • Archaic
translation icon : corneta
  • The coach driver blew his post horn as they approached the village.

Examples

  • The post horn signaled the arrival of the mail coach.

  • A gleaming post horn was displayed in the museum's mail coach exhibit.

  • In the 19th century, a post horn was essential for every long-distance stagecoach.

  • Can you play the post horn?

  • The coach driver blew his post horn as they approached the village.

  • In the 19th century, a post horn was essential for every long-distance stagecoach.

  • A gleaming post horn was displayed in the museum's mail coach exhibit.

Synonyms

horn
vspost horn
183 1.0

A device that makes a loud sound to warn or signal people

is a simple brass signalling instrument used historically by postilions and mail coaches

Surface Forms

post horn singular
post horns plural

Morphology

post + horn

The compound is fully compositional: 'post' (postal service/mail) + 'horn' (a wind instrument) yields an instrument associated with the postal service, which matches the given definition. This noun+noun formation is a transparent, descriptive naming pattern found across languages and contains no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a B1 learner who knows both words should infer the meaning.

Etymology

Post horn refers to a small brass horn used by mail coaches to announce 'arrival' or 'departure'. Drivers blew the horn to warn people and to show that the mail had arrived, so today the name means a loud signal for the mail.