FOUR-IN-HAND

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does four-in-hand mean? 

• FOUR-IN-HAND (noun)
  The noun FOUR-IN-HAND has 2 senses:

1. a long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other

2. a carriage pulled by four horses with one driver

  Familiarity information: FOUR-IN-HAND used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FOUR-IN-HAND (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A long necktie that is tied in a slipknot with one end hanging in front of the other

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("four-in-hand" is a kind of...):

necktie; tie (neckwear consisting of a long narrow piece of material worn (mostly by men) under a collar and tied in knot at the front)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A carriage pulled by four horses with one driver

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

coach; coach-and-four; four-in-hand

Hypernyms ("four-in-hand" is a kind of...):

carriage; equipage; rig (a vehicle with wheels drawn by one or more horses)

Meronyms (parts of "four-in-hand"):

box; box seat (the driver's seat on a coach)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "four-in-hand"):

stage; stagecoach (a large coach-and-four formerly used to carry passengers and mail on regular routes between towns)

 Context examples 

He got two in addition to the two we changed, so that now we have a rude four-in-hand.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Sure enough, on the rise of a curve upon our right the four-in-hand had appeared, the horses stretched to the utmost.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You yacht against them, you hunt with them, you play polo, you match them in every game, your four-in-hand takes the prize at Olympia.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The four-in-hand was swishing down it as hard as the horses could gallop.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I stood up, steadying myself upon my uncle’s shoulder, but though I could see for a mile, or perhaps a quarter more, there was not a sign of the four-in-hand.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“We’ve time in hand now, and a little water at the Red Lion will do them no harm. Red four-in-hand passed, ostler?”

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I see a red four-in-hand in the square, and there is a crowd round it.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We could see a long white ribbon of it, all dotted with carts and waggons coming from Croydon to Redhill, but there was no sign of the big red four-in-hand.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As our tandem came alongside of the four-in-hand, with the two bonny bay mares gleaming like shot-silk in the sunshine, a murmur of admiration rose from the crowd.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I saw a red wet seam gape suddenly through the black hair, and next instant we were flying alone down the road, whilst the four-in-hand had halted, and Sir John and his lady were down in the road together tending to the wounded horse.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)