late Old English, hosa "covering for the leg," from Proto-Germanic *husan (cf. Old Saxon, Old Norse hosa, Middle High German hose "covering for the leg," German Hose "trousers"), literally "covering," from PIE *(s)keu- "to cover, conceal" (see hide (n.1)). Old French hose, Old Spanish huesa are of Germanic origin. Sense of "flexible rubber tube for liquid" is first attested late 15c.
c.1300, "to furnish with stockings," from hose (n.). Meaning "to water down with a hose" is from 1889. Related: Hosed; hosing.
[origin uncertain; perhaps fr a rare but found hose, ''penis,'' whereupon the term would be analogous to diddle, fuck, screw, shaft, etc]
1. To make non-functional or greatly degraded in performance. "That big ray-tracing program really hoses the system." See hosed.
2. A narrow channel through which data flows under pressure. Generally denotes data paths that represent performance bottlenecks.
3. Cabling, especially thick Ethernet cable. This is sometimes called "bit hose" or "hosery" (a play on "hosiery") or "etherhose". See also washing machine.
[Jargon File]
(Dan. 3:21), a tunic or undergarment.