Meaning & use
horn of plenty
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableliterary
A curved horn shape overflowing with fruit, flowers and grain, used as a symbol of plentiful harvest and prosperity.
Grammar: Takes an article: a horn of plenty; the plural is horns of plenty.
Patterns
- a horn of plenty filled with something
A woven horn of plenty filled with apples and grapes sat in the center of the table.
The painting showed a goddess holding a horn of plenty.
Children drew a horn of plenty for the autumn display.
nounsingularfigurative
A source or supply of something in great abundance, especially good things.
Grammar: Often followed by of or used with a describing phrase: the land was a horn of plenty.
Patterns
- a horn of plenty for someone
- the horn of plenty of something
The orchard was a horn of plenty that fed the whole village.
For young cooks, the market is a horn of plenty.
The new library felt like a horn of plenty for curious students.
Word forms
| plural | horns of plenty |
|---|
Common combinations
- a horn of plenty
- The festival opened with a giant horn of plenty.
- overflowing horn of plenty
- An overflowing horn of plenty decorated the harvest table.
- like a horn of plenty
- The garden poured out vegetables like a horn of plenty.
- symbol of the horn of plenty
- The horn of plenty is a symbol of thanksgiving.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cornucopia
- Cornucopia is the formal Latin-derived word for the same object and is also used for any great abundance.
- abundance
- Abundance is a plain abstract noun for a large supply, without the picture of an overflowing horn.
- bounty
- Bounty stresses generous gifts or a rich harvest, while horn of plenty gives a visual, storybook image.
- windfall
- A windfall is a sudden, unexpected gain, not a steady abundance, so it differs from the lasting richness of a horn of plenty.
Opposites
Word family
- cornucopia noun
- the Latin-based name for the same symbol
- plenty noun
- a large amount
- plentiful adjective
- existing in large quantities
- plenteous adjective
- abundant, in a literary style
Commonly confused: horn of plenty or cornucopia?
horn of plenty vs cornucopia
Cornucopia means the same thing, but it sounds more formal and is often used for abundant variety. Horn of plenty is more everyday and picture-like.
Practice
The autumn centerpiece was a basket shaped like a ___, spilling pumpkins, apples and wheat onto the table.
Choose one answer.
A horn of plenty is the overflowing harvest symbol. Pot of gold and bed of roses are other idioms but do not describe a curved horn of produce.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “horn of plenty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.