hawkshaw

[hawk-shaw]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a detective.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of hawkshaw¹

1900–05; after Hawkshaw, a detective in the play The Ticket of Leave Man (1863) by Tom Taylor

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In short and in fine, Mullinix no more resembled the traditional hawkshaw than Miss Mildred Smith resembled the fashionable conception of a fashionable artist.