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DictionaryhonkLoud nasal sound
noun / verb

honk

HAHNK/hˈɑŋk/

A loud nasal sound, or making such a sound.

He honks the bicycle horn, making the nearby listener cover one ear.

A young man visibly compresses the rubber bulb of a bicycle horn while a nearby woman flinches and covers one ear, making the horn-sounding action and its loudness readable without text.
Etymology

Honk began as an imitation of a goose’s cry. Its use for sounding a horn extends that loud, nasal animal sound to a mechanical one.

In context

Whachuwrite Podcast30:55
She's in the rental car and I leave her parked on the side of the road. Hey, let me know honk if a cop's coming.
High Spots, Rappels & Freight Yards: (DSABL Graffiti Interview) Ep.007 On @whatchuwritepodcast

More examples

  • Geese honked over the lake.
  • A loud honk interrupted the conversation.
  • Drivers are honking outside.

Forms

honk · honks · honked · honking

Similar words

beep
Usually a shorter, higher-pitched electronic or horn sound.
blast
Emphasizes force and loudness rather than a nasal quality.