Hawks

[hawks]

See more synonyms for Hawks on Thesaurus.com

noun

Howard (Winchester),1896–1977, U.S. film director.

hawk¹

[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.
any of several similar, unrelated birds, as the nighthawk.
Informal. a person who preys on others, as a sharper.
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.

verb (used without object)

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

Origin of hawk¹

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 formshawk·like, adjective

hawk²

[hawk]

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 hawk²

First recorded in 1470–80; back formation from hawker²

hawk³

[hawk]

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 hawk³

1575–85; imitative; see haw¹

hawk⁴

[hawk]

noun

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

Origin of hawk⁴

1350–1400; Middle English; perhaps variant of hache battle-ax (see hatchet)

Hawk

[hawk]

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. 2018

Examples from the Web for hawks

Contemporary Examples

Once label execs heard “Hideaway,” they began circling it like hawks.
The Making of Kiesza: From Navy Sharpshooter to Beauty Queen to Pop Diva
Marlow Stern
October 20, 2014
I emailed Robby Kalland, who previously covered the Hawks for three years with Score Atlanta, SB Nation, and Hawks.com.
Racism or Exit Strategy for Atlanta Hawks Owner Bruce Levenson?
Robert Silverman
September 7, 2014
Instead Hollywood remains tentative, depending on women-friendly filmmakers like Cukor, Hawks, and now Feig to push the envelope.
'Ghostbusters' and the Slow Emancipation of Female-Driven Comedy
Teo Bugbee
August 15, 2014
Hawks at one point advised him to seek psychological counseling to get a handle on his feelings for Bacall.
Bogie & Bacall: A Hollywood Romance for the Ages
Marlow Stern
August 13, 2014
We live right by Bernal Hill, so we see a lot of hawks and other raptors up there.
Mississippi Hippos, Teddy Bears, and Other Strange Beasts
Scott Porch
July 25, 2014

Historical Examples

Hawks and owls capture a large quantity of our smaller birds.
The Meaning of Evolution
Samuel Christian Schmucker
Is not to-morrow my inspecting day For you and for your hawks?
Browning's England
Helen Archibald Clarke
Pigeons or hawks; dupes or swindlers,—an ugly alternative to choose from.
Roland Cashel
Charles James Lever
"But anything the watchbirds can do, the Hawks can do better," Macintyre said cheerfully.
Watchbird
Robert Sheckley
He hawks at every sort of game, and rarely does he make a false cast.
Views and Reviews
William Ernest Henley

British Dictionary definitions for hawks

Hawks

noun

Howard (Winchester). 1896–1977, US film director. His films include Sergeant York (1941) and The Big Sleep (1946)

hawk¹

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 Formshawklike, adjective

Word Origin

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

hawk²

verb

to offer (goods) for sale, as in the street
(tr often foll by about) to spread (news, gossip, etc)

Word Origin

C16: back formation from hawker 1

hawk³

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

C16: of imitative origin; see haw ²

hawk⁴

noun

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

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for hawks

hawk

v.2

"to hunt with a hawk," mid-14c., from hawk (n.).

hawk

v.3

"to clear one's throat," 1580s, imitative.

hawk

n.

c.1300, hauk, earlier havek (c.1200), from Old English hafoc (W. Saxon), heafuc (Mercian), heafoc, from Proto-Germanic *habukaz (cf. Old Norse haukr, Old Saxon habuc, Middle Dutch havik, Old High German habuh, German Habicht "hawk"), from a root meaning "to seize," from PIE *kap- "to grasp" (cf. Russian kobec "a kind of falcon;" see capable). Transferred sense of "militarist" attested from 1962.

hawk

v.1

"to sell in the open, peddle," late 15c., back-formation from hawker "itinerant vendor" (c.1400), from Middle Low German höken "to peddle, carry on the back, squat," from Proto-Germanic *huk-. Related: Hawked; hawking. Despite the etymological connection with stooping under a burden on one's back, a hawker is technically distinguished from a peddler by use of a horse and cart or a van.

Idioms and Phrases with hawks

hawk

see watch like a hawk.

Hawks

hawk.css-pdubzd{font-size:17px;vertical-align:super;}1

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hawk2

Origin of hawk2

hawk3

Origin of hawk3

hawk4

Origin of hawk4

Hawk

Origin of Hawk

Examples from the Web for hawks

Contemporary Examples

Once label execs heard “Hideaway,” they began circling it like hawks.

I emailed Robby Kalland, who previously covered the Hawks for three years with Score Atlanta, SB Nation, and Hawks.com.

Instead Hollywood remains tentative, depending on women-friendly filmmakers like Cukor, Hawks, and now Feig to push the envelope.

Hawks at one point advised him to seek psychological counseling to get a handle on his feelings for Bacall.

We live right by Bernal Hill, so we see a lot of hawks and other raptors up there.

Historical Examples

Hawks and owls capture a large quantity of our smaller birds.

Is not to-morrow my inspecting day For you and for your hawks?

Pigeons or hawks; dupes or swindlers,—an ugly alternative to choose from.

"But anything the watchbirds can do, the Hawks can do better," Macintyre said cheerfully.

He hawks at every sort of game, and rarely does he make a false cast.

Hawks

hawk1

Word Origin

hawk2

Word Origin

hawk3

Word Origin

hawk4

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for hawks

hawk

v.2

hawk

v.3

hawk

n.

hawk

v.1

Idioms and Phrases with hawks

hawk

hawk¹

Origin of hawk¹

hawk²

Origin of hawk²

hawk³

Origin of hawk³

hawk⁴

Origin of hawk⁴

hawk¹

hawk²

hawk³

hawk⁴