greenhorn
UK /ˈɡɹiːnˌhɔːɹn/ · US /ˈɡɹinˌhoɹn/ noun, proper noun
Forms greenhorns green-horn green horn
- noun (chiefly US) An inexperienced person; a novice, beginner, or newcomer.
- noun (chiefly Massachusetts, ethnic slur, offensive) A Portuguese person.
- proper noun A census-designated place in Plumas County, California, United States.
Synonyms
abecedarian alphabetarian apprentice amateur beginner bun colt first-timer fledgling FNG fresh meat freshman greenie greener homo novus inceptor initiate Johnny-come-lately learner neophyte cub rookie
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English grene horn, which is attested for “horn of a recently killed animal” and as the name of a horse. It may also have been used of young horned animals. In all cases “green” refers to the idea of “fresh, young, recent”, taken from plants and used in Middle English for all kinds of things irrespective of their colour, e.g. wounds, leather, fish, cheese (see green cheese). Figurative use for people dates from the 17th century. Compare semantically German Grünschnabel (literally “green-beak”). By surface analysis, green + horn.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “greenhorn”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details