From Middle English houten, huten, hoten, assumed to be of North Germanic origin: Swedish hut! (“begone!”, interjection) (also dialectal Norwegian hut, Bornholm Danish hut, hot), Swedish huta (“to drive someone away (with calls)”), Old Swedish huta (“to cast out in contempt”), related to Swedish hojta (“to holler”), hojt (“a holler”), further related to Middle High German hiuzen, hūzen (“to call to pursuit”). Swedish hut is the common command to call off and silence barking (hunting) dogs on the pursuit. Compare Swedish veta hut (“know one's place, like a dog”, literally “to know 'hoot' (the command)”).
The Middle High German terms could suggest an earlier Proto-Germanic (hunting dog command?) *hūt- (“to command barking en pursuit?”). Maybe cognate to shout?
Ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse hutututu (“brr”), Norwegian hutra, Swedish huttra, huttla, Danish hudre, Low German hudern, German huttern (“to shiver”).
Further compare English hoy, Dutch hui, Low German hoi, Norwegian hoi, Swedish hoj, Danish hoj, huj (“ho, hallo”).
Meanings
A derisive cry or shout.
My performance drew hoots of derision from the crowd.
The cry of an owl.
I heard the hoot of an owl. Whoo, whoo!
(slang) A fun event or person.
The party at the weekend was such a hoot! Thanks for the invite.
A small particle; a whit or jot.
We don't care a hoot about what you think.
Well, it was Sunday morning, and the wheat nothing like ripe; but it was a chance, and I got onto my reaper and banged down every hoot of it before Monday night. 1878, John Hanson Beadle, Western Wilds, and the Men who Redeem Them, Jones Brothers, →OCLC, page 611:
eo ululo (cry of an owl) · fr hululement (cry of an owl) · de Gejohle (derisive cry or shout) · mi whero (cry of an owl) · bg дюдюкане (derisive cry or shout) · de Schrei (cry of an owl) · mi koukou (cry of an owl) · es vacilada (fun event, blast) · fi huhuilu (cry of an owl) · es vacilón (fun event, blast) · uk у́хання (cry of an owl) · ru у́ханье (derisive cry or shout) · de Ruf (cry of an owl) · de Geschrei (cry of an owl) · es chillo (derisive cry or shout) · es bacilón (fun event, blast) · de Johlen (derisive cry or shout) · ga faíreach (derisive cry or shout) · ca xut (cry of an owl) · sv ho (cry of an owl) · de Spaßmacher (fun event, blast) · es risión (fun event, blast) · nl giller (fun event, blast) · fi buuaus (derisive cry or shout) · nl grapjas (fun event, blast) · pl pohukiwanie (cry of an owl) · ru у́ханье (cry of an owl) · nl roep (cry of an owl) · grc κικκαβαῦ (cry of an owl) · bg ухане (cry of an owl) · nl oehoe (cry of an owl) · es bacilongo (fun event, blast) · hu hu (cry of an owl) · es vacile (fun event, blast) · fr ululement (cry of an owl) · es ululato (derisive cry or shout) · es ululato (cry of an owl) · fr huées (derisive cry or shout) · es pera (fun event, blast) · es grito (cry of an owl) · de Spaßveranstaltung (fun event, blast) · mi terekou (cry of an owl) · it ululo (cry of an owl) · es chillo (cry of an owl) · es grito (derisive cry or shout) · ru ги́канье (derisive cry or shout) · es vacil (fun event, blast) · tl wahu (cry of an owl) · es polla (fun event, blast) · de Heulen (cry of an owl) · ru улюлю́канье (derisive cry or shout) · fi pilkkahuuto (derisive cry or shout)
From Middle English houten, huten, hoten, assumed to be of North Germanic origin: Swedish hut! (“begone!”, interjection) (also dialectal Norwegian hut, Bornholm Danish hut, hot), Swedish huta (“to drive someone away (with calls)”), Old Swedish huta (“to cast out in contempt”), related to Swedish hojta (“to holler”), hojt (“a holler”), further related to Middle High German hiuzen, hūzen (“to call to pursuit”). Swedish hut is the common command to call off and silence barking (hunting) dogs on the pursuit. Compare Swedish veta hut (“know one's place, like a dog”, literally “to know 'hoot' (the command)”).
The Middle High German terms could suggest an earlier Proto-Germanic (hunting dog command?) *hūt- (“to command barking en pursuit?”). Maybe cognate to shout?
Ultimately onomatopoeic. Compare Old Norse hutututu (“brr”), Norwegian hutra, Swedish huttra, huttla, Danish hudre, Low German hudern, German huttern (“to shiver”).
Further compare English hoy, Dutch hui, Low German hoi, Norwegian hoi, Swedish hoj, Danish hoj, huj (“ho, hallo”).
Meanings
To cry out or shout in contempt.
Fitzgerald’s supporters resented Dan’s familiarity with their idol, and began to hoot Dan. 1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 90:
Matrons and girls shall hoot at thee no more, 1711, John Dryden, “Satire IX”, in Dryden’s Juvenal:
To make a hoo, the cry of an owl.
Outside an owl was hooting most dismally in the darkness. The villa was on a by-road, and there was no human sound to link them up with life. 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders / At our quaint spirits. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
“Er...Feathered Omen, hoot not,” he continued uneasily, “Son of Tanit, hoot not!” 1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 11:
To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
Mary felt extremely offended when the workers hooted at her.
And I will be content, that Partridge, and the rest of his Clan, may hoot me for a Cheat and Impostor, if I fail in any single Particular of Moment. 1708, Isaac Bickerstaff [Jonathan Swift], Predictions for the Year 1708:
To sound the horn of a vehicle.
When you arrive to pick me up, hoot, and I'll come outside.
la cucubo (To make the cry of an owl) · nl claxonneren (To sound the horn of a vehicle) · pl pohukiwać (To make the cry of an owl) · la cano (To cry out or shout in contempt) · fi huhuilla (To make the cry of an owl) · fr bubuler (To make the cry of an owl) · fr huer (To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts) · es ulular (To make the cry of an owl) · mi pehopeho (To make the cry of an owl) · nl oehoeën (To make the cry of an owl) · nl uitjoelen (To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts) · ja 野次る (To cry out or shout in contempt) · fr hululer (To make the cry of an owl) · ru у́хать (To make the cry of an owl) · ru ги́кать (To cry out or shout in contempt) · ru у́хать (To cry out or shout in contempt) · ru улюлю́кать (To cry out or shout in contempt) · fr railler (To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts) · fr boubouler (To make the cry of an owl) · fr ululer (To make the cry of an owl) · ca esgaripar (To make the cry of an owl) · nl toeteren (To sound the horn of a vehicle) · mi koukou (To make the cry of an owl) · nl trompen (To sound the horn of a vehicle) · cs houkat (To make the cry of an owl) · uk пугу́кати (To make the cry of an owl) · eo ululi (To make the cry of an owl) · bg дюдюкам (To cry out or shout in contempt) · bg ухам (To make the cry of an owl) · pl hukać (To make the cry of an owl) · ga bí ag faíreach (To cry out or shout in contempt) · tl wumahu (To make the cry of an owl) · sv hoa (To make the cry of an owl) · mi peho (To make the cry of an owl) · nl uitjouwen (To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts) · hu huhog (To make the cry of an owl) · uk у́хати (To make the cry of an owl) · fi buuata (To cry out or shout in contempt) · de hupen (To sound the horn of a vehicle) · de rufen (To make the cry of an owl) · de johlen (To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts) · fr huer (To cry out or shout in contempt)
A variant of utu (influenced by etymology 1), borrowed from Māori utu (“payment, revenge, payback”).
Meanings
(New-Zealand, slang, uncountable) Money, especially in the form of cash given as payment.
On the construction you could make a pot of hoot in no time. You oughter be able to get two or three quid a day when things is busy. 1938, Xavier Herbert, Capricornia, Sydney, N.S.W.: A&R Classics, published 2013, →ISBN, page 304: