hark

American  

[hahrk] / hɑrk /

verb (used without object)

1. to listen attentively; hearken.

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verb (used with object)

1. Archaic. to listen to; hear.

noun

1. a hunter's shout to hounds, as to encourage them in following the scent.

verb phrase

1. hark back

   1. (of hounds) to return along the course in order to regain a lost scent.

   2. to return to a previous subject or point; revert.

      He kept harking back to his early days in vaudeville.

hark British  

/ hɑːk /

verb

1. (intr; usually imperative) to listen; pay attention

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Other Word Forms

• unharked adjective

Etymology

Origin of hark

1175–1225; Middle English herken, earlier herkien, Old English *heorcian; cognate with Old Frisian herkia, harkia; akin to Middle Dutch harken, Middle High German, German horchen. See hearken, hear

Example Sentences

In a neat moment of circularity, Williams' record-breaking album harks back to the start of his solo career, and the period when he nearly lost himself.

From BBC

But joking or not, harking back to beating Zverev when they played as teenagers over a decade ago might provide an additional boost.

From BBC

This mysterious commodity is the comfort blanket in times of turmoil - usually harking back to glory days and happier times.

From BBC

The “battleship” name harks back to the ships with large main guns used until the end of the Cold War, but the new ships will feature a next-generation design.

From The Wall Street Journal

One by one, the queer and trans cast members share fictionalized personal stories, harking back to childhood moments before any declaration of identity was possible.

From Los Angeles Times