greenhorn n : an awkward and inexperienced youth [syn: cub, rookie]

English

Etymology

Unconfirmed. Hypotheses include:

• Middle English greene horn, the horn of a newly slaughtered animal
• From the reference to an animal with green (that is, young) horns
• From 17th century jewellery manufacturing which used decorated horn which was impressed at a specific temperature. If heated too high (a common mistake by apprentices), the horn turned green.

Noun

1. In the context of "mostly|US": an inexperienced person; a novice, beginner or newcomer

Translations

Derived terms

• greenhornism

Greenhorn is slang for an inexperienced person.

Greenhorn can also refer to:

• Greenhorn, California, United States
• Greenhorn, Oregon, United States
• The Greenhornes, a rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio

abecedarian, alphabetarian, apprentice, arriviste, articled clerk, babe, baby, beginner, boob, boot, catechumen, chump, cinch, credulous person, cull, dabbler, deb, debutant, dilettante, dull tool, dunce, dupe, easy mark, easy pickings, emigrant, entrant, fall guy, fish, fledgling, fool, freshman, gate-crasher, gobe-mouches, greener, greeny, gudgeon, gull, ignoramus, illiterate, illiterati, immigrant, incapable, incompetent, inductee, infant, initiate, innocent, intruder, know-nothing, leadpipe cinch, learner, lowbrow, mediocrity, middlebrow, monkey, neophyte, nestling, new arrival, new boy, newcomer, no conjuror, no scholar, novice, novitiate, novus homo, parvenu, patsy, pigeon, plaything, postulant, prize sap, probationer, probationist, puddinghead, pushover, raw recruit, recruit, rookie, sap, saphead, schlemiel, settler, sitting duck, squatter, stooge, stowaway, sucker, tenderfoot, toy, trainee, trusting soul, tyro, unintelligentsia, upstart, victim