pawky

[ paw-kee ]

/ ˈpɔ ki /

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

cunning; sly.

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Origin of pawky

1670–80; Scots pawk trick + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM pawky

pawk·i·ly, adverbpawk·i·ness, noun

Words nearby pawky

Pavlov's dogs, Pavo, pavonine, pavor nocturnus, paw, pawky, pawl, pawn, pawnage, pawnbroker, pawnbroking

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How to use pawky in a sentence

Yet he could see into the heart of things as well as most men, for he was a shrewd Scotchman, and had a pawky humour.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
It has a number of sweet Scottish verses, plaintive or pawky.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
With them was a collie, much collie-er than English collies, with a pawky Scottish smile.
The Heather-Moon|C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
Not that I know what pawky means, but it seems a word I ought to use at once, now we are on Scottish soil.
The Heather-Moon|C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

But the balladist carries everything before him by the verve and good humour and pawky wit of his song.
The Balladists|John Geddie

British Dictionary definitions for pawky

pawky

/ (ˈpɔːkɪ) /

adjective pawkier or pawkiest

Scot having or characterized by a dry wit

Derived forms of pawky

pawkily, 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