woa
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
2
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
to whoa
vswoa
1
8.3
To tell a horse or animal to stop right away
asks for stopping or slowing rather than only an immediate halt
7.2
Tell someone to wait and be patient
is a direct command to stop or slow movement often used with animals
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.