hawk
1[ hawk ]
/ hɔk /
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noun
verb (used without object)
to fly, or hunt on the wing, like a hawk.
to hunt with hawks.
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of hawk
1First 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, adjectiveDefinition 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
2First recorded in 1470–80; back formation from hawker2
Definition 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
3First recorded in 1575–85; imitative
Definition 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
4First recorded in 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. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for hawk
British Dictionary definitions for hawk (1 of 4)
hawk1
/ (hɔːk) /
noun
verb
Derived forms of hawk
hawklike, adjectiveWord 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
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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.