From Middle English howe, from Anglo-Norman houe, from Frankish *hauwā, derivative of Frankish *hauwan (“to hew”), from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną. More at hew.
Meanings
(qualifier:when not otherwise specified) Any of various tools for scraping, scratching, digging, or stirring soil or other materials. ▸ An agricultural and horticultural hand tool consisting of a long handle with a flat blade fixed perpendicular to it at the end, used for digging rows or removing weeds by hand.
It was obvious that it consisted of several blows to the head from the hoe. 2009, TRU TV, 28 March
For their organic row crops, they do the weeding with hoes. They get in there often, but it goes fast, and the weeds never get ahead.
Any of various tools for scraping, scratching, digging, or stirring soil or other materials. ▸ Any of several implements or machines usually called by their more specific names, for example, backhoe.
The grading is on hold. In the meantime, get that hoe over here and work on this utility trench. [Instructions issued to a worker who will operate a backhoe]
From Middle English howe, from Anglo-Norman houe, from Frankish *hauwā, derivative of Frankish *hauwan (“to hew”), from Proto-Germanic *hawwaną. More at hew.
Meanings
(ambitransitive) To cut, dig, scrape, turn, arrange, or clean, with this tool.
to hoe the earth in a garden
Every year, I hoe my garden for aeration.
I always take a shower after I hoe in my garden.
(transitive) To clear from weeds, or to loosen or arrange the earth about, with a hoe.
The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate! 1902, Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit:
sh kopati motikom (to use the gardening tool) · it zappare (to use the gardening tool) · grc σκάλλω (to use the gardening tool) · la sariō (to use the gardening tool) · fi kuokkia (to use the gardening tool) · ro prăși (to use the gardening tool) · tay pazih (to use the gardening tool) · mt agħżaq (to use the gardening tool) · es azadonar (to use the gardening tool) · vec sapar (to use the gardening tool) · bg прекопавам (to use the gardening tool) · pt enxadar (to use the gardening tool) · es cavar (to use the gardening tool) · grc σκάπτω (to use the gardening tool) · sq gërmoj (to use the gardening tool) · rw kurima (to use the gardening tool) · mi pāpako (to use the gardening tool) · gl cavar (to use the gardening tool) · sk okopávať (to use the gardening tool) · mi whakapāpako (to use the gardening tool) · io hauagar (to use the gardening tool) · ro săpa (to use the gardening tool) · th จอบ (to use the gardening tool) · et kõplama (to use the gardening tool) · qu lampay (to use the gardening tool) · ota چاپهلمق (to use the gardening tool) · ka თოხავს (to use the gardening tool) · da hakke (to use the gardening tool) · fr houer (to use the gardening tool) · ru моты́жить (to use the gardening tool) · de hacken (to use the gardening tool) · el τσαπίζω (to use the gardening tool) · rup sãrcljedz (to use the gardening tool) · gl sachar (to use the gardening tool) · ru разрыхля́ть (to use the gardening tool) · hu kapál (to use the gardening tool) · hi कुदाल (to use the gardening tool) · nl schoffelen (to use the gardening tool) · mi hetiheti (to use the gardening tool) · izh kookkia (to use the gardening tool) · rup prãshescu (to use the gardening tool) · ka მოთოხავს (to use the gardening tool) · pms sapé (to use the gardening tool) · tr çapalamak (to use the gardening tool) · af skoffel (to use the gardening tool) · sk kopať (to use the gardening tool)
Then we split to the Cafe Black Rose / To party with some hoes 1973, “Spoon”, in Hustler's Convention, performed by Lightnin' Rod:
Fuck all you hoes.
Get a grip, motherfucker. 1994, 0:00 from the start, in Juicy (Hip Hop), spoken by The Notorious B.I.G.:
[…] this chapter […] will […] explore why pimp (and hoe) characters, with their dramatic staging of gendered and occupational relations […] have taken such hold of the black youth imagination 2002, Eithne Quinn, Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang: The Culture and Commerce of Gangsta Rap:
On the podcast, Gaines and his co-host Walter Weekes (Fresh), regularly refer to women as “hoes” or 304s (304 on an upside-down calculator looks like the word “hoe”). 2023 June 9, John Mac Ghlionn, “The new Andrew Tate: Toxic ‘manosphere’ podcaster claims ‘all women are whores’”, in New York Post:
At school they had been among the only couples that had not done “it” at the Pimp & Hoe parties that popped up occasionally at the dorm 2003, Dan Harrington, The Good Eye:
Pimpin’ came so naturally to MT when he and his sisters played pimp and hoe games that one of his sisters wanted to hoe for him when they grew up. 2003, Da’rel the Relentless One, M. T. Pimp: