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• hawk
  hawk

  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.
• Hawk
  Hawk

  noun

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

hawk

¹ American  

[hawk] / hɔk /

noun

1. 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.

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

3. Informal. a person who preys on others, as a con artist.

4. Also called war hawk.  Informal. a person, especially one in public office, who advocates war or a belligerent national attitude.

5. any person who pursues an aggressive policy in business, government, etc..

   The corporation is now run by a bunch of young hawks.

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

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verb (used without object)

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

2. to hunt with hawks.

hawk ² American  

[hawk] / hɔk /

verb (used with object)

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

2. to advertise or offer for sale.

   to hawk soap on television.

3. to spread (rumors, news, etc.).

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verb (used without object)

1. to carry wares about for sale; peddle.

hawk ³ American  

[hawk] / hɔk /

verb (used without object)

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to raise by noisily clearing the throat.

   to hawk phlegm up.

noun

1. a noisy effort to clear the throat.

hawk ⁴ American  

[hawk] / hɔk /

noun

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

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Hawk ⁵ American  

[hawk] / hɔk /

noun

Military.

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

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hawk ¹ British  

/ hɔːk /

noun

1. 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 tail

2. any of various other falconiform birds, including the falcons but not the eagles or vultures

3. a person who advocates or supports war or warlike policies Compare dove 1

4. a ruthless or rapacious person

5. to be able to judge things; be discerning

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verb

1. (intr) to hunt with falcons, hawks, etc

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

3. to pursue or attack on the wing, as a hawk

hawk ² British  

/ hɔːk /

verb

1. (intr) to clear the throat noisily

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

3. a slang word for spit 1

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noun

1. a noisy clearing of the throat

hawk ³ British  

/ hɔːk /

verb

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

2. to spread (news, gossip, etc)

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hawk ⁴ British  

/ hɔːk /

noun

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

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hawk Idioms  

1. see watch like a hawk.

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Other Word Forms

• hawklike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of hawk¹

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”

Origin of hawk²

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

Origin of hawk³

First recorded in 1575–85; imitative

Origin of hawk⁴

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

Origin of Hawk⁵

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

Explanation

A hawk is a relatively large bird that hunts small animals. Hawks tend to surprise their prey, swooping down on it from above. Among birds of prey, hawks are medium-sized, with long tails and curved wings. Hawks use their high intelligence and sharp eyes for hunting smaller birds and mammals. You can also use the word hawk to mean a pro-war politician or political advisor, a term that's often contrasted with "dove," someone who almost always opposes war. This metaphorical hawk has been around since the 1960s.

Example Sentences

Border Patrol agents from an elite unit rappelled from a hovering Black Hawk helicopter onto the roof of a 130-unit apartment complex.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Northrop makes a lot of those, including the Global Hawk External link drone and SiAWs External link, or Stand-in Attack Weapons.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

The gas station is owned by Hawk II Environmental Corp., run by a Whittier man named Joe Bezerra Jr. Bezerra did not respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

This year's judging panel brought together voices from across the Scottish music industry, and included singer and presenter Shereen Cutkelvin, musician Hamish Hawk, international DJ Ewan McVicar and Anna Shields of Dead Pony.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

But the people and animals who lived through the episode still tiptoe across the yard when Hawk is sitting on the woodpile.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen