From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhoothoot1 /huːt/ noun [countable] 1 SHOUTLAUGHa shout or laugh that shows you think something is funny or stupidhoot of laughter/derision etc Hoots of laughter rose from the audience.2 HBBSOUNDa sound that an owl makes3 TTCTTWSOUNDa short clear sound made by a vehicle or ship, as a warning4 → be a hoot5 → don’t give a hoot/don’t care two hoots
Examples from the Corpus
hoot• Well, he couldn't give a hoot, either!• Needless to say, no lunch for him, as he retreated amidst hoots and laughter, carrying the offending object.• If the skills dipped, there would be hoots of laughter.• Leary's speech drew hoots from the crowd.• There was a brief exchange of hoots, and the clothed human put down the tray and went out again.• The sharp hoot of a train came from the railway yards a mile away: icy across icy spaces.• There was in every office of Salomon a systemwide loudspeaker, called the hoot and holler or just the hoot.• Apart from money, success at Salomon meant having your name shouted over the hoot.• The hooting of a horn made me turn round.hoot of laughter/derision etc• If the skills dipped, there would be hoots of laughter.• Greene hollered over the hoots of laughter.• The Jospin administration's job-creating brainchild was greeted with hoots of derision when it was announced in 1997.hoothoot2 verb 1 [intransitive, transitive]TTCTTWSOUND if a vehicle or ship hoots, it makes a loud clear noise as a warninghoot at The car behind was hooting at me.2 [intransitive]HBBSOUND if an owl hoots, it makes a long ‘oo’ sound3 [intransitive, transitive]LAUGH to laugh loudly because you think something is funny or stupidhoot with laughter/glee/mirth etc He had the audience hooting with laughter.→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
hoot• Cars and lorries hooting, accelerating and braking put Dawn into a real flap.• Chutra hooted, bared his teeth, scratched his ribs.• A horn hooted behind me. It was Don in his little red car.• Truck drivers hooted, children stared, and just about everyone laughed or waved.• Beyond, the post van hooted indignantly.• That evening was filled with the sound of hooting owls.• Chick started hooting the Cortina's horn impatiently.• Ships hooted their horns as the flag went up.• Two hours later I was woken by men whistling, clicking, trilling and hooting their music to the flocks.• There is too much noise in here to speak: stamping, hooting, whistling.hoot at• The audience hooted at the actors' mistakes.hoot with laughter/glee/mirth etc• I stood on her doorstep and started hooting with laughter.• He has the audience hooting with laughter and then within seconds, shocked into silence.Origin hoot2 (1100-1200) From the sound 