hawk

[ hawk ]

/ hɔk /

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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 con artist.

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.

Economics. an official or advisor who advocates relatively high interest rates or other monetary policies aimed at keeping inflation low.

verb (used without object)

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

to hunt with hawks.

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Origin of hawk

First recorded 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”

OTHER WORDS FROM hawk

hawk·like, adjective

Words nearby hawk

Hawes Water, hawfinch, hawg, haw-haw, Hawick, hawk, hawkbill, hawkbit, Hawke, Hawke Bay, hawker

Other definitions for hawk (2 of 5)

hawk²

[ 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

Other definitions for hawk (3 of 5)

hawk³

[ 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

First recorded in 1575–85; imitative

Other definitions for hawk (4 of 5)

hawk⁴

[ 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

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; perhaps variant of hache “battle-ax” (see hatchet)

Other definitions 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. 2022

How to use hawk in a sentence

That’s despite efforts by Republicans and Democratic budget hawks to rein in spending, and improving economic news, which suggest Americans are better off than when they got the first two rounds of checks.
The economic rationale for whether you deserve a stimulus check|Roya Wolverson|February 26, 2021|Quartz
Such “mobbing flocks” harass bird predators like snakes and hawks and are a reliable cue of such animals’ presence.
A single male lyrebird can mimic the sound of an entire flock|Jake Buehler|February 25, 2021|Science News
Now Sanders’s grasp of true agenda-setting power is being celebrated by fellow lawmakers on the hard left, who are encouraged to have an ally — not a deficit hawk — in a key position.
Gavel in hand, Bernie Sanders lays out an unabashedly liberal economic agenda|Mike DeBonis|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Indeed, she could still disappear any day, as hawks hover overhead more often lately.
How a sickly squirrel offered me unexpected comfort|Pam Spritzer|February 8, 2021|Washington Post

Watch your sap like a hawk as you near the end of the boiling process.
Make your own maple syrup without harming the trees|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|February 7, 2021|Popular-Science
When Donald Regan asked, “Did we object to Israelis sending HAWK ... missiles to Iran?”
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations|Malcolm Byrne|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
For me, I signed on to The Avengers 1-3 and then Hawk-Eye, in case they want to do a Hawk-Eye spin-off.
Jeremy Renner Opens Up About Marriage, His Problems with the Media, and the Future of Hawk-Eye|Marlow Stern|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Most Americans have viewed Africa through the lens of LiveAid or Black Hawk Down or the altruistic whims of Madonna.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)|Todd Moss|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since Henry Hawk could sit in a great elm far up the road and see himp.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Out of the darkening sky rang the twanging call of a night-hawk, and the cluck of a dozing hen sounded from the foliage overhead.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
The memory of the hawk-nosed, steel-eyed officer who rode from Kurnaul to Meerut in twenty-four hours smote him like a whip.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
This one I brought home and kept in my aviary till March, 1868, when it was killed by a Hawk striking it through the wires.
Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith
A giant of a fellow with an eye like a hawk and a big black beard that seems, somehow, to suggest a blacksmith.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk¹

/ (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 forms of hawk

hawklike, 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)

hawk²

/ (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)

hawk³

/ (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)

hawk⁴

/ (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

Other Idioms and Phrases with hawk

hawk

see watch like a hawk.

hawk

Origin of hawk

OTHER WORDS FROM hawk

Words nearby hawk

Other definitions for hawk (2 of 5)

Origin of hawk

Other definitions for hawk (3 of 5)

Origin of hawk

Other definitions for hawk (4 of 5)

Origin of hawk

Other definitions for hawk (5 of 5)

Origin of Hawk

Words related to hawk

How to use hawk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)

Derived forms of hawk

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (2 of 4)

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (3 of 4)

Word Origin for hawk

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (4 of 4)

Word Origin for hawk

Other Idioms and Phrases with hawk