Hosepipe means: A flexible pipe for carrying water or other liquids.. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
hosepipe
(UK, South Africa, Southern US) A flexible pipe for carrying water or other liquids.
Definitions
UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK
(UK, South Africa, Southern US) A flexible pipe for carrying water or other liquids.
In a hot three-week drought that had begin in July he could have saved it, despite the hosepipe ban. But he had been too busy to haul full buckets the garden's length.
For parents
Hosepipe means: A flexible pipe for carrying water or other liquids.. It is mainly South African English and may not be understood outside that context. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
hosepipe means: A flexible pipe for carrying water or other liquids.. Register: informal, South African English. Often not understood outside its region; gloss the word on first use when writing for an international audience. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK
(film, television) To film with erratic panning movements of the camera.
Cluster: general
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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UK
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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Other words near "hosepipe" (H)
hosehosebaghosebeasthose downhoseheadhoselhoserhospital corpsmanhospitalisthospitalmanhospital passhospitium
Browse all slang words starting with H.