Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Rough or grating in sound.
  • adjective Having or characterized by a husky, grating voice.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Deep and rough or harsh to the ear; discordant; raucous.
  • Having a deep and harsh or grating voice; uttering low raucous sounds: as, to be hoarse from a cold.
  • To render hoarse: as, he was all hoarsed up.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having a harsh, rough, grating voice or sound, as when affected with a cold; making a rough, harsh cry or sound.
  • adjective Harsh; grating; discordant; -- said of any sound.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Afflicted by a dry, quite harsh voice.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English hos, hors, from Old English hās, *hārs.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English hors or hos, from Old Norse hás (whence the Icelandic hás), akin to Old English hās.

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Examples

  • His voice hoarse from a brewing head cold, he has gone from Oregon to Washington to California to Nevada.

    In search of approval for his party and himself Philip Rucker 2010

  • His voice hoarse from a brewing head cold, he has gone from Oregon to Washington to California to Nevada.

    Obama, seeking lost magic, crosses country campaigning for Democrats - and himself Philip Rucker 2010

  • He threw his head back and opened his mouth and the laughter came up in hoarse, loud hoots.

    Soldiers of Misfortune 1978

  • He threw his head back and opened his mouth and the laughter came up in hoarse, loud hoots.

    Soldiers of Misfortune 1978

  • It had not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarse gasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue.

    The White Company Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 1902

  • It had not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarse gasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue.

    The White Company Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 1902

  • It had not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarse gasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue.

    The White Company Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 1902

  • It had not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarse gasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue.

    The White Company Arthur Conan Doyle 1894

  • It had not escaped him that his opponent was breathing in short, hoarse gasps, like a man who is dizzy with fatigue.

    The White Company 1890

  • At last the former gradually subsided, and the latter, obeying the retreating tide, rolled away in hoarse murmurs.

    The Scottish Chiefs 1875

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