hose down

verb

"hose-down" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hose down” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To spray thoroughly with a hose.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hose-down · hose down · English

hose down · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for hose down
PropertyValue
Headwordhose down
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hose down” in English

hose downranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hose down is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for hose down, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is hose down, spelled H-O-S-E- -D-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To spray thoroughly with a hose.
  2. 2
    To put out or reduce a fire by squirting water on the fire with a hose.
  3. 3
    To calm down a person, or a situation.
  4. 4
    To have sex with (someone).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how hose down appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Near-synonyms: hose off; rinse down, rinse off, wash down, wash off, wet down

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hose down"?
"hose down" is spelled H-O-S-E- -D-O-W-N.
What does "hose down" mean?
As a verb, "hose down" means: To spray thoroughly with a hose.
What language does "hose down" come from?
"hose down" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list