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beat a dead horse

beat a dead horse
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [beet ey ded hawrs]
    • /bit eɪ dɛd hɔrs/
    • /biːt ə ded hɔːs/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [beet ey ded hawrs]
    • /bit eɪ dɛd hɔrs/

Definitions of beat a dead horse words

  • noun beat a dead horse to argue an issue that is already settled 3
  • noun plural beat a dead horse a large, solid-hoofed, herbivorous quadruped, Equus caballus, domesticated since prehistoric times, bred in a number of varieties, and used for carrying or pulling loads, for riding, and for racing. 1
  • noun plural beat a dead horse a fully mature male animal of this type; stallion. 1
  • noun plural beat a dead horse any of several odd-toed ungulates belonging to the family Equidae, including the horse, zebra, donkey, and ass, having a thick, flat coat with a narrow mane along the back of the neck and bearing the weight on only one functioning digit, the third, which is widened into a round or spade-shaped hoof. 1
  • noun plural beat a dead horse something on which a person rides, sits, or exercises, as if astride the back of such an animal: rocking horse. 1
  • noun plural beat a dead horse Also called trestle. a frame, block, etc., with legs, on which something is mounted or supported. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of beat a dead horse

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; (noun) Middle English, Old English hors; cognate with Old Norse hross, Dutch ros, German Ross (Middle High German ros, Old High German hros); (v.) Middle English horsen to provide with horses, Old English horsian, derivative of the noun

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Beat a dead horse

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

beat a dead horse popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

beat a dead horse usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for beat a dead horse

verb beat a dead horse

  • belabor — If you say that someone belabors the point, you mean that they keep on talking about it, perhaps in an annoying or boring way.
  • harp on — a musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame formed by a soundbox, a pillar, and a curved neck, and having strings stretched between the soundbox and the neck that are plucked with the fingers.
  • flog a dead horse — a large, solid-hoofed, herbivorous quadruped, Equus caballus, domesticated since prehistoric times, bred in a number of varieties, and used for carrying or pulling loads, for riding, and for racing.
  • dwell on — to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.

See also

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