1 B1 neutral
To wash a surface, object, or animal thoroughly by spraying it with a hose.
"After the party, we hosed down the terrace to get rid of all the food stains."
separable
hose down
B1 neutral separable transitive
To wash or drench something thoroughly using a hose or strong jet of water.
In plain English
Spray something all over with a hose or strong water to clean or cool it.
What does "hose down" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To spray a crowd or group of people with water, typically as a means of crowd control.
"Police hosed down protesters who had gathered outside the parliament building."
“
Police used fire hoses to hose down marchers in Birmingham, Alabama.
— Reference to historical reporting on the Birmingham campaign, 1963, widely documented in the civil rights press
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To direct a hose downward along a surface — transparent.
Actually means
Spray something all over with a hose or strong water to clean or cool it.
Usage tip
Used both literally (washing a car, patio, or animal) and figuratively in journalism to mean spraying people with water as crowd control. Also used figuratively, though rarely, to mean defeating someone emphatically.
Words that pair with "hose down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
car patio deck animal crowd yard
How to conjugate "hose down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
hose down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hoses down
he/she/it
Past simple
hosed down
yesterday
Past participle
hosed down
have + pp
-ing form
hosing down
continuous
Hear "hose down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "hose down"
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