hawk

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hawk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of numerous birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, having a short, hooked beak, broad wings, and curved talons, often seen circling or swooping at low altitudes.

any of several similar, unrelated birds, as the nighthawk.

Informal. a person who preys on others, as a sharper.

Also called war hawk. Informal. a person, especially one in public office, who advocates war or a belligerent national attitude.Compare dove¹(def 5).

any person who pursues an aggressive policy in business, government, etc.: The corporation is now run by a bunch of young hawks.

verb (used without object)

to fly, or hunt on the wing, like a hawk.

to hunt with hawks.

Nearby words

hawash, hawes water, hawfinch, hawg, hawick, hawk, hawk moth, hawk owl, hawk's beard, hawk's-beard, hawk's-eye

Origin of hawk

before 900; Middle English hauk(e), Old English hafoc; cognate with Old Frisian havek, Old Saxon habuc Old High German habuh, Old Norse haukr hawk, perhaps Polish kobuz kind of falcon

Related formshawk·like, adjective

Definition for hawk (2 of 5)

hawk

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

verb (used with object)

to peddle or offer for sale by calling aloud in public.

to advertise or offer for sale: to hawk soap on television.

to spread (rumors, news, etc.).

verb (used without object)

to carry wares about for sale; peddle.

Origin of hawk

First recorded in 1470–80; back formation from hawker²

Definition for hawk (3 of 5)

hawk

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

verb (used without object)

to make an effort to raise phlegm from the throat; clear the throat noisily.

verb (used with object)

to raise by noisily clearing the throat: to hawk phlegm up.

noun

a noisy effort to clear the throat.

Origin of hawk

1575–85; imitative; see haw¹

Definition for hawk (4 of 5)

hawk

⁴

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

noun

a small, square board with a handle underneath it, used by plasterers and masons to hold plaster or mortar being applied.

Origin of hawk

⁴

1350–1400; Middle English; perhaps variant of hache battle-ax (see hatchet)

Definition for hawk (5 of 5)

Hawk

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

noun Military.

a medium-range, mobile U.S. surface-to-air missile system.

Origin of Hawk

H(oming) A(ll the) W(ay) K(iller)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hawk

The NSPG meeting defined the official line on the HAWK deal, but it did not address the funding diversion.
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations|Malcolm Byrne|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Monk said to Hawk, 'You're the great Coleman Hawkins, right?
The Stacks: John Coltrane’s Mighty Musical Quest|Nat Hentoff|October 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Christie was clearly what non-Southern high-end Republicans wanted--a hawk who kept his eye on the bond market.
2016 Just May Be the GOP Base’s Year|Lloyd Green|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the Hawk system, the official noted, is much more difficult to operate than the Russian Buk system.
MH17 Was Awful, but It’s Probably Unique|Dave Majumdar|July 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

At the same time, maybe she should hawk it up a little, especially if Rand Paul is the nominee.
Kudos to Hillary for Playing the Hitler Card|Michael Tomasky|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The same God made the eagle, the vulture, the hawk, and their helpless prey.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
But No. 2, a keen-looking person with the eye of a hawk, was not so easily satisfied.
Allan and the Holy Flower|H. Rider Haggard
Annie-Many-Ponies, turning her eyes disappointedly from the empty mesa, envied the hawk his swift-winged freedom.
The Heritage of the Sioux|B.M. Bower
I might have walked miles and not found a lark which afforded me so much sport, and the hawk such a lung-opener.
The Art and Practice of Hawking|Edward B. Michell
They have no more sympathy for them than a hound has for a hare, or a hawk for a hen, or a tiger for a calf.
New Tabernacle Sermons|Thomas De Witt Talmage

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

/ (hɔːk) /

noun

any of various diurnal birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, such as the goshawk and Cooper's hawk, typically having short rounded wings and a long tailRelated adjective: accipitrine

US and Canadian any of various other falconiform birds, including the falcons but not the eagles or vultures

a person who advocates or supports war or warlike policiesCompare dove 1 (def. 2)

a ruthless or rapacious person

know a hawk from a handsaw to be able to judge things; be discerning

verb

(intr) to hunt with falcons, hawks, etc

(intr) (of falcons or hawks) to fly in quest of prey

to pursue or attack on the wing, as a hawk

Derived Formshawklike, adjective

Word Origin for hawk

from Shakespeare (Hamlet II:2:375); handsaw is probably a corruption of dialect heronshaw heron Old English hafoc; related to Old Norse haukr, Old Frisian havek, Old High German habuh, Polish kobuz

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (2 of 4)

hawk

/ (hɔːk) /

verb

to offer (goods) for sale, as in the street

(tr often foll by about) to spread (news, gossip, etc)

Word Origin for hawk

C16: back formation from hawker 1

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (3 of 4)

hawk

/ (hɔːk) /

verb

(intr) to clear the throat noisily

(tr) to force (phlegm) up from the throat

British a slang word for spit 1

noun

a noisy clearing of the throat

Word Origin for hawk

C16: of imitative origin; see haw ²

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (4 of 4)

hawk

⁴

/ (hɔːk) /

noun

a small square board with a handle underneath, used for carrying wet plaster or mortarAlso called: mortar board

Word Origin for hawk

of unknown origin

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

Word Origin and History for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

c.1300, hauk, earlier havek (c.1200), from Old English hafoc (W. Saxon), heafuc (Mercian), heafoc, from Proto-Germanic *habukaz (cf. Old Norse haukr, Old Saxon habuc, Middle Dutch havik, Old High German habuh, German Habicht "hawk"), from a root meaning "to seize," from PIE *kap- "to grasp" (cf. Russian kobec "a kind of falcon;" see capable). Transferred sense of "militarist" attested from 1962.

Word Origin and History for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

v.1

"to sell in the open, peddle," late 15c., back-formation from hawker "itinerant vendor" (c.1400), from Middle Low German höken "to peddle, carry on the back, squat," from Proto-Germanic *huk-. Related: Hawked; hawking. Despite the etymological connection with stooping under a burden on one's back, a hawker is technically distinguished from a peddler by use of a horse and cart or a van.

Word Origin and History for hawk (2 of 4)

hawk

v.2

"to hunt with a hawk," mid-14c., from hawk (n.).

Word Origin and History for hawk (3 of 4)

hawk

v.3

"to clear one's throat," 1580s, imitative.

Idioms and Phrases with hawk

hawk

see watch like a hawk.

hawk

noun

verb (used without object)

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Origin of hawk

Definition for hawk (2 of 5)

hawk

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of hawk

Definition for hawk (3 of 5)

hawk

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Origin of hawk

Definition for hawk (4 of 5)

hawk

noun

Origin of hawk

Definition for hawk (5 of 5)

Hawk

noun Military.

Origin of Hawk

Examples from the Web for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

noun

verb

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (2 of 4)

hawk

verb

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (3 of 4)

hawk

verb

noun

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (4 of 4)

hawk

noun

Word Origin for hawk

Word Origin and History for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

Word Origin and History for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

Word Origin and History for hawk (2 of 4)

hawk

Word Origin and History for hawk (3 of 4)

hawk

Idioms and Phrases with hawk

hawk