pawky

[paw-kee]

adjective, pawk·i·er, pawk·i·est. Chiefly British.

cunning; sly.

Origin of pawky

1670–80; Scots pawk trick + -y¹

Related formspawk·i·ly, adverbpawk·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pawky

Historical Examples of pawky

The routhie bield that gars the gearIs gone where glint the pawky een.
The Book of Humorous Verse
Various
Then came to the West End a masterful man, a Scotchman, pawky and hard.
Held for Orders
Frank H. Spearman
It has a number of sweet Scottish verses, plaintive or pawky.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland
Joseph Tatlow
They say pawky means sorter cute an' cunnin', like in Scotch.
Two Knapsacks
John Campbell
The pawky barn boss, who possessed perfectly the art of tantalizing innuendo, thus stirred the bar-room pool to the depths.
Laramie Holds the Range
Frank H. Spearman

British Dictionary definitions for pawky

pawky

adjective pawkier or pawkiest

Scot having or characterized by a dry wit

Derived Formspawkily, adverbpawkiness, noun

Word Origin for pawky

C17: from Scottish pawk trick, 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