Hoar and whore are two words that are pronounced in the same manner but are spelled differently and have different meanings, which makes them homophones. We will examine the difference between the definitions of hoar and whore, where these two words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
Hoar means gray with age, or a gray-white color. The word hoar is seldom seen by itself, it is usually part of the term hoar frost, which is a type of natural frost that resembles feathers or an old man’s beard. The adjective form, hoary, may describe something or someone who is white or gray with age, or it may simply describe something that is trite or outdated. The word hoar is derived from the Old English word har which means venerable or old.
A whore is a prostitute or someone who has had many, indiscriminate sexual encounters. Whore usually refers to a woman. Whore is also used figuratively to mean someone who will do anything to get what he or she wants. Whore may be used as a noun or a verb, related words are whores, whored, whoring. The word whore is derived from the Old English word hore, meaning harlot or prostitute.
Examples
Poolburn School pupils were playing outside at lunchtime, striving to keep warm among the extreme cold and hoar frost. (The Otago Daily Times)
Gone are the mood boards, the Yves Saint Laurent-style mood swings, the lap dog press and all the hoary antique apparatus of the business. (The New York Times)
A gran was blinded in one eye in Pontins after an angry mum wrongfully accused her of calling a 10-year-old girl a “whore.” (The Liverpool Echo)
Jennings, speaking before an adoring audience, said he did not say a woman is a whore because she wears make-up, false hair or jewellery. (The Jamaica Star)
Enjoyed reading about these homophones? Check out some others we covered: