huzzah

English edit

Alternative forms edit

huzza

Etymology edit

Likely originally a hoisting cry, possibly related to hoise. Compare possibly cognate Swedish hissa (“to hoist; huzzah”), Catalan hissar (“to hoist”) and French Ho, hisse! (“Hey, hoist!”). First attested in the 1570s.

"Huzzah" on a sign at a Fourth of July celebration

Pronunciation edit

IPA^(key): /həˈzɑː/
Rhymes: -ɑː
Audio (US) (file)
Audio (UK) (file)

Interjection edit

huzzah

(nautical, dated) Used as a call for coordinated physical effort, as in hoisting.
(literary, poetic, archaic, sometimes humorous) Used as a cheer indicating exaltation, enjoyment or approval.
- 2014, Yacht Club Games, Shovel Knight: Shovel of Hope, Nintendo 3DS, level/area: Village:
  Deposed King: 'KING KNIGHT REIGNS NO MORE? HUZZAH! NOW I CAN RULE PRIDEMOOR! HURRAH!'

Synonyms edit

(hoisting cry): heave, heave-ho
(cheer indicating enjoyment or approval): hooray, hurrah, hurray, see also Thesaurus:well done.

Noun edit

huzzah (plural huzzahs)

A cheer often associated with sailors, shouted by a group in praise of a thing or event.

Verb edit

huzzah (third-person singular simple present huzzahs, present participle huzzahing, simple past and past participle huzzahed)

(transitive, intransitive) To cheer (someone or something) with a huzzah sound.
- 1710 October 2 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Whig-Examiner: No. 2. Thursday, September 21. [1710.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC, page 339:
  Towns have been taken, and battles have been won; the mob has huzza'd round bonefires, the Stentor of the chappel has ſtrained his throat in the gallery, and the Stentor of S——m has deafned his audience from the pulpit.
- 1891, Littell’s Living Age, volume 191, page 260:
  In the course of his table-talk, during the French war, the ex-chancellor once remarked that, though the Prussian people huzza'd and beclapped their great Frederick when alive, […]