Hoit
verb ·1 syllable ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 To behave frivolously and thoughtlessly; to play the fool. archaic, intransitive
"Let none condemn them [girls] for Rigs, becauſe thus hoiting vvith boys, ſeeing the ſimplicity of their age vvas a Patent to priviledge any innocent paſtime, and fevv mo[r]e years vvill make them bluſh themſelves into better manners."
- 2 Pronunciation spelling of hurt. alt-of, intransitive, pronunciation-spelling
- 3 To romp noisily; to caper, to leap. intransitive, obsolete
"Hark, my husband! he's singing and hoiting; and I'm fain to cark and care, and all little enough"
Example
More examples"Let none condemn them [girls] for Rigs, becauſe thus hoiting vvith boys, ſeeing the ſimplicity of their age vvas a Patent to priviledge any innocent paſtime, and fevv mo[r]e years vvill make them bluſh themſelves into better manners."
Etymology
Unknown. Possibly from Old Norse, or a native Old English term. Perhaps somehow from Middle English hote (“to promise, etc.”). Compare Welsh hoetian (“to dally, dandle”), as well as Scots hoit (“to move awkwardly or clumsily, especially of a stout person or animal, to waddle”), which may be more plausible (especially in sense 2).
Related phrases
More for "hoit"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.