Dictionary.com

hooker

1
[ hook-er ]
/ ˈhʊk ər /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for hooker on Thesaurus.com
noun
a person or thing that hooks.
Slang. prostitute.
Slang. a large drink of liquor.
Slang. a concealed problem, flaw, or drawback; a catch.
Rugby. a player who hooks the ball in the front line of scrummage.
(initial capital letter)Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an Amish Mennonite.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of hooker

1
First recorded in 1560–70; in 1835–45 for def. 2, an Americanism; hook1 + -er1

usage note for hooker

The Mennonites were irreverently spoken of as Hookers , because they used hooks and eyes on their clothes instead of buttons.

Words nearby hooker

Hook, Captain, hook check, Hooke, hooked, hooked rug, hooker, Hooker's green, Hooke's law, hook, line, and sinker, hooknose, Hook of Holland

Other definitions for hooker (2 of 3)

hooker2
[ hook-er ]
/ ˈhʊk ər /
noun Nautical.
Slang. any old-fashioned or clumsy vessel.
any fishing vessel working with hooks and lines rather than nets.

Origin of hooker

2
First recorded in 1635–45; from Dutch hoeker, equivalent to hoek hook1 + -er -er1

Other definitions for hooker (3 of 3)

Hooker
[ hook-er ]
/ ˈhʊk ər /
noun
Joseph, 1814–79, Union general in the U.S. Civil War.
Richard, 1554?–1600, English author and clergyman.
Thomas, 1586?–1647, English Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of the colony of Connecticut.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to hooker

prostitute, bawd, concubine, courtesan, floozy, harlot, hustler, moll, nymphomaniac, pro, streetwalker, strumpet, whore, working girl, call girl, lady of the evening, painted, woman of the streets

How to use hooker in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hooker (1 of 3)

hooker1
/ (ˈhʊkə) /
noun
a commercial fishing boat using hooks and lines instead of nets
a sailing boat of the west of Ireland formerly used for cargo and now for pleasure sailing and racing

Word Origin for hooker

C17: from Dutch hoeker

British Dictionary definitions for hooker (2 of 3)

hooker2
/ (ˈhʊkə) /
noun
a person or thing that hooks
US and Canadian slang
  1. a draught of alcoholic drink, esp of spirits
  2. a prostitute
rugby the central forward in the front row of a scrum whose main job is to hook the ball

British Dictionary definitions for hooker (3 of 3)

Hooker
/ (ˈhʊkə) /
noun
John Lee. 1917–2001, US blues singer and guitarist
Sir Joseph Dalton. 1817–1911, British botanist; director of Kew Gardens (1865–85)
Richard. 1554–1600, British theologian, who influenced Anglican theology with The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593–97)
Sir William Jackson. 1785–1865, British botanist; first director of Kew Gardens: father of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker
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
FEEDBACK