definitions

hawk

1
[ hawk ]
/ hɔk /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hawk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

verb (used without object)

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

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RELATED WORDS

chauvinist, belligerent, warmonger, jingoist, militarist, jingo

Nearby words

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

Origin of hawk

1
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 forms

hawk·like, adjective

Definition for hawk (2 of 5)

hawk

2
[ 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

2
First recorded in 1470–80; back formation from hawker2

Definition for hawk (3 of 5)

hawk

3
[ 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

3
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

British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)

hawk

1
/ (hɔːk) /

noun

verb

Derived Forms

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)

hawk

2
/ (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

3
/ (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

Idioms and Phrases with hawk

hawk

see watch like a hawk.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.