horse sense
If your teacher tells you that you have horse sense, consider it a compliment. People with horse sense are smart and practical and can be counted on to make good decisions.
Word experts aren't certain if the expression horse sense comes from the typical personality of horses themselves, calm and prudent, or from the idea that people who are very skilled in working with horses have a kind of horse sense. Either way, it's a colloquial phrase from the late 1800's that's still used fairly often today.
Definitions of horse sense
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sound practical judgment
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synonyms:
common sense, good sense, gumption, mother wit, sense
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types:
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logic
reasoned and reasonable judgment
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nous
common sense
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road sense
good judgment in avoiding trouble or accidents on the road
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type of:
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discernment, judgement, judgment, sagaciousness, sagacity
the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations
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logic
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘horse sense'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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