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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

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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)

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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

See Examples For:

hawk Hawk

The Rolling Stones-loving economist gained a reputation as a monetary-policy hawk during the eurozone debt crisis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

From his aerie, Phil Weiser has a sweeping view of the city skyline, the gold-domed Capitol and, occasionally, a red hawk on the wing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

After fake “predator” eyes and artificial bird sounds failed, plant managers turned to falconry, bringing in a two-foot-tall Harris’s hawk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

The authority hired a falconer and a hawk, but it failed to successfully deter the birds and the plan was hampered by opponents to the measure scattering large quantities of bird feed.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

And with that, he hopped out the door, where his even more terrifying-looking hawk dad was waiting for him and threw his wings open to hug his son.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Ecuador's defence minister announced in August that the United States would deploy three Black Hawk helicopters as part of bilateral security cooperation.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, actor Ed Helms and NBA great Shaquille O’Neal have professed their love for what the screenwriter described as “Rocky” on bikes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

I was in Morocco shooting “Black Hawk Down,” and I had to come back to do press for “Pearl Harbor.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Navy struck both Hawk and Sinopa on Sep 1.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Observations at Hawk Mountain are in line with findings elsewhere.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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