skyhook

American

[skahy-hook] / ˈskaɪˌhʊk /

noun

a fanciful hook imagined to be suspended in the air.
any of various lifting devices, as one hung from a helicopter, designed to lift heavy loads to distances beyond the reach of a jib crane.
a high, arching hook shot in basketball.

Etymology

Origin of skyhook

First recorded in 1910–15; sky + hook ¹

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.

See Examples For:

skyhook

There was the raised fist that was once a signal for Magic to pass to Kareem for a skyhook.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026

On April 5, 1984, he took a pass from Johnson and sank his signature skyhook against the Utah Jazz to surpass Wilt Chamberlain’s career total of 31,419 points.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 7, 2023

His skyhook offloads and change of pace have added another dimension to Saracens' game this season as the Premiership leaders show more ambition and adventure with ball in hand.

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2022

May 10, 1974: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forces the NBA Finals to a seventh game with his skyhook for a 102-101 win in double overtime over the Celtics in Boston.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2021

About the only theory left to check was that the object might have been one of the big, 100-foot-diameter, "skyhook" balloons.

From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023