HOIST
What does "HOIST" mean?
To raise or lift something, especially with ropes, pulleys, or a mechanical device.
Meanings
- To raise or haul up, often using a rope, crane, or pulley. The crew hoisted the mainsail as the wind picked up.
- A device or apparatus for lifting heavy loads. The mechanic put the engine on a hoist to reach the gearbox. technical
- The act of raising something, or an upward shove. She gave the toddler a hoist onto her shoulders. informal
Did you know?
- To be 'hoist with your own petard' - blown up by your own bomb - is Shakespeare's image from Hamlet, where a 'petard' was a small charge that often killed the soldier who set it.
Word origin
From earlier 'hoise', probably from Middle Dutch 'hijsen' or Low German 'hissen', to hoist; the final 't' was added by the 1500s.
Remember it
HOIST = 'Heave Of Iron, Slowly Together' - the rhythm of a crew pulling a load skyward.
A little poem
Hand over hand, the rope goes taut-
the weight forgets it ever was caught
and rises like a second thought.
tercet
What it teaches
Anything you build to lift others can, if aimed wrong, raise you instead - mind which way the rope runs.
Quick facts
What does HOIST mean?
To raise or lift something, especially with ropes, pulleys, or a mechanical device.
Is HOIST a valid word?
Yes — HOIST is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is HOIST?
HOIST has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does HOIST come from?
From earlier 'hoise', probably from Middle Dutch 'hijsen' or Low German 'hissen', to hoist; the final 't' was added by the 1500s.
What can HOIST teach us?
Anything you build to lift others can, if aimed wrong, raise you instead - mind which way the rope runs.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.