chicken hawk
Americannoun
-
Also called hen hawk. (not used scientifically) any of various hawks said to prey on poultry.
-
Slang. an older man who seeks out young boys as sexual partners.
Etymology
Origin of chicken hawk
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
CHAY-DA-GAHI, which translates to "turtle," came to mean a tank, while a GINI, "chicken hawk" in English, became a dive bomber.
From Reuters • Jun. 5, 2014
Mr. Mitchell’s signature grin was replaced by the avid glare of a chicken hawk circling the henhouse.
From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2010
Gaunt and spectral in his flowing white robes, Menon swooped from delegate to delegate like a chicken hawk over a smorgasbord, crying: "Isn't he a wonderful man?"
From Time Magazine Archive
In Willington, Conn., Mary Cski, 75, heard a commotion among her hens, hustled down, caught a marauding 8-lb. chicken hawk with her bare hands.
From Time Magazine Archive
I perked up like our old hens did when a chicken hawk came flying around.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
