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hake

American  
[heyk] / heɪk /

noun

plural

hake,

plural

hakes
  1. any marine fish of the genus Merluccius, closely related to the cods, especially M. bilinearis, found off the New England coast.

  2. any of several related marine fishes, especially of the genus Urophycis.


hake 1 British  
/ heɪk /

noun

  1. any gadoid food fish of the genus Merluccius, such as M. merluccius (European hake), of the N hemisphere, having an elongated body with a large head and two dorsal fins

  2. any North American fish of the genus Urophycis, similar and related to Merluccius species

  3. another name for barracouta

"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

hake 2 British  
/ heɪk /

noun

  1. a wooden frame for drying cheese or fish

"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 hake

1275–1325; Middle English; special use of Old English haca hook; compare Middle Low German haken kipper salmon

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.

"Species such as hake, pollock and saithe are fantastic alternatives with great flavour and are often under utilised so they can be sold at a lower price point,"he said.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

The species that are most frequently parasitised include salmon, tuna, squid, cod, hake, mackerel, mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, sardines and anchovies.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2023

A red spoon near the name of the fish indicates a catch available that day, typically a half-dozen choices that have included hake, swordfish, yellowfin tuna, black sea bass and Arctic char.

From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2022

She’s found they can prey on a wide range of species but seem to prefer hake, an abundant West Coast native used for imitation crab.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2022

Dale replied he’d had just about enough of setting by the shipping lane in soup fog for a dozen silvers, a few dogfish, a couple of hake, and what’s more taking flack off his radio.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson