woa
1
9.9
A shout telling a horse to stop or slow down
- interjection
- /woʊə/
- US
:
¡alto!
- I shouted woa to the horse to slow down as it galloped ahead.
Examples
-
Woa, woa, settle down before you get too excited on the horse.
-
Woa, woa, woa...
-
Woa, woa, woa.
-
Woa, woa, woa...
-
Woa, woa, woa.
-
Woa, Jeff, woa.
-
As the horse began to pick up speed, I called out, woa, to get it to stop.
Synonyms
1
8.3
A short cry people use to tell someone to stop or slow down
asks for stopping or slowing rather than only sudden pausing
1
7.2
Tell someone to wait and be patient
is a direct command to stop or slow movement often used with animals
to whoa
vswoa
8.3
To tell a horse or animal to stop right away
asks for stopping or slowing rather than only an immediate halt
Surface Forms
woa main
Etymology
Woa comes from the rider's call whoa, used to tell a horse 'stop' or 'slow down'. That's why people say woa to tell someone or an animal to stop or slow, or to get attention fast.