A hoofed quadruped of the genus Equus; especially, the domestic horse (E. caballus), which was domesticated in Egypt and Asia at a very early period. It has six broad molars, on each side of each jaw, with six incisors, and two canine teeth, both above and below. The mares usually have the canine teeth rudimentary or wanting. The horse differs from the true asses, in having a long, flowing mane, and the tail bushy to the base. Unlike the asses it has callosities, or chestnuts, on all its legs. The horse excels in strength, speed, docility, courage, and nobleness of character, and is used for drawing, carrying, bearing a rider, and like purposes. The male of the genus horse, in distinction from the female or male; usually, a castrated male. Mounted soldiery; cavalry; -- used without the plural termination; as, a regiment of horse; -- distinguished from foot. The armies were appointed, consisting of twenty-five thousand horse and foot. Bacon. A frame with legs, used to support something; as, a clotheshorse, a sawhorse, etc. A frame of timber, shaped like a horse, on which soldiers were made to ride for punishment. Anything, actual or figurative, on which one rides as on a horse; a hobby. A mass of earthy matter, or rock of the same character as the wall rock, occurring in the course of a vein, as of coal or ore; hence, to take horse -- said of a vein -- is to divide into branches for a distance. See Footrope, a. A breastband for a leadsman. An iron bar for a sheet traveler to slide upon. A jackstay. W. C. Russell. Totten. The name is locally applied to various other fishes, as the California hake, the black candlefish, the jurel, the bluefish, etc. -- Horse marine (Naut.), an awkward, lubbery person; one of a mythical body of marine cavalry. [Slang] -- Horse mussel (Zoöl.), a large, marine mussel (Modiola modiolus), found on the northern shores of Europe and America. -- Horse nettle (Bot.), a coarse, prickly, American herb, the Solanum Carolinense. -- Horse parsley. (Bot.) See Alexanders. -- Horse purslain (Bot.), a coarse fleshy weed of tropical America (Trianthema monogymnum). -- Horse race, a race by horses; a match of horses in running or trotting. -- Horse racing, the practice of racing with horses. -- Horse railroad, a railroad on which the cars are drawn by horses; -- in England, and sometimes in the United States, called a tramway. -- Horse run (Civil Engin.), a device for drawing loaded wheelbarrows up an inclined plane by horse power. -- Horse sense, strong common sense. [Colloq. U.S.] -- Horse soldier, a cavalryman. -- Horse sponge (Zoöl.), a large, coarse, commercial sponge (Spongia equina). -- Horse stinger (Zoöl.), a large dragon fly. [Prov. Eng.] -- Horse sugar (Bot.), a shrub of the southern part of the United States (Symplocos tinctoria), whose leaves are sweet, and good for fodder. -- Horse tick (Zoöl.), a winged, dipterous insect (Hippobosca equina), which troubles horses by biting them, and sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly, horse louse, and forest fly. -- Horse vetch (Bot.), a plant of the genus Hippocrepis (H. comosa), cultivated for the beauty of its flowers; -- called also horsehoe vetch, from the peculiar shape of its pods. -- Iron horse, a locomotive. [Colloq.] -- Salt horse, the sailor's name for salt beef. -- To look a gift horse in the mouth, to examine the mouth of a horse which has been received as a gift, in order to ascertain his age; -- hence, to accept favors in a critical and thankless spirit. Lowell. -- To take horse. (a) To set out on horseback. Macaulay. (b) To be covered, as a mare. (c) See definition 7 (above).