Definition

1. Interjection:

   • A shout to attract attention: Used as a loud call or cry to get someone's notice, often from a distance.
   • A shout to urge on hounds: A traditional cry used in hunting to encourage dogs or to signal the sighting of game.

2. Noun:

   • The act or sound of shouting 'halloo': The shout or cry itself.

3. Verb:

   • To shout 'halloo': To call out loudly with this specific cry, either to greet someone, attract attention, or urge on hunting dogs.
   • To urge on with shouts: To encourage or drive forward, especially hounds in a hunt, by shouting.

Examples of Usage

• Interjection:

  • "Halloo! Is anyone there?" he called into the empty house.
  • The hunter saw the fox and cried, "Halloo!"

• Noun:

  • He gave a great halloo, but no one in the distant field heard him.
  • A sudden halloo from the woods broke the silence.

• Verb:

  • She hallooed to her friend across the wide valley.
  • The huntsman hallooed the dogs to follow the scent.

Advanced Usage

• "To halloo before one is out of the wood": An idiom meaning to celebrate or declare success prematurely, before one is completely safe or certain of the outcome. This is a variant of the more common proverb, "Don't halloo until you are out of the wood."
  • By announcing the deal was done, he was hallooing before he was out of the wood, as the contract hadn't been signed yet.

Variants and Related Words

• Hollo (interjection, noun, verb): An alternative spelling and pronunciation with the same meaning.

  • He gave a loud hollo from the hilltop.

• Halloa (interjection, noun, verb): Another less common variant.

  • "Halloa!" he shouted, waving his hat.

Synonyms

• Shout: To call or cry out loudly.
• Holler: (Informal) To shout or yell.
• Whoop: A loud cry of excitement or encouragement.
• Hue and cry: A loud clamor or pursuit (historically, a call to chase a criminal).

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

(This word is typically not used in phrasal verb constructions. Its usage is as a standalone interjection, noun, or verb.)

Related Idioms

• "Don't halloo until you are out of the wood": A proverb advising against celebrating or assuming success too early, while still in a difficult or uncertain situation. It warns against premature jubilation.
  • I know the prototype works, but don't halloo until we are out of the wood—we still need regulatory approval.

Noun

1. a shout to attract attention
   • he gave a great halloo but no one heard him

Verb

1. shout `halloo', as when greeting someone or attracting attention
2. urge on with shouts
   • halloo the dogs in a hunt