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Synonyms

hawker

1 American  
[haw-ker] / ˈhɔ kər /

noun

  1. a person who hunts with hawks hawk or other birds of prey.


hawker 2 American  
[haw-ker] / ˈhɔ kər /

noun

  1. a person who peddles or hawks wares by shouting their offerings in the street or going from door to door; peddler.


hawker 1 British  
/ ˈhɔːkə /

noun

  1. a person who travels from place to place selling goods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

hawker 2 British  
/ ˈhɔːkə /

noun

  1. a person who hunts with hawks, falcons, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hawker1

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hafecere. See hawk 1, -er 1

Origin of hawker2

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Middle Low German haker “retail dealer”; akin to Middle Dutch hac in same sense; huckster

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.

The ding on the movie is that Timothée Chalamet’s self-centered striver isn’t that different from Adam Sandler’s diamond hawker in “Uncut Gems.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

Accordingly, it is therefore unlikely that the ancestor of the barbastelle was a loud hawker that evolved into the whispering barbastelle as a response to insect hearing.

From Science Daily • Oct. 27, 2023

Shanghai is seeking public opinion on revising hawker regulations and in April said it had set up 74 spots for vendors.

From Reuters • May 30, 2023

In the 1970s, the government opened hawker centers to provide vendors permanent stalls that were in line with health regulations.

From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2023

We restocked the coolers, but by the time we got back to the beach another hawker team was working our territory.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin