skyhook

[skahy-hook]

noun

1. a fanciful hook imagined to be suspended in the air.

2. any of various lifting devices, as one hung from a helicopter, designed to lift heavy loads to distances beyond the reach of a jib crane.

3. a high, arching hook shot in basketball.

Word History and Origins

Origin of skyhook¹

First recorded in 1910–15; sky + hook ¹

Example Sentences

The answer was the “skyhook”: Balloons lifted a tether attached to a harness worn by an agent high into the sky.

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On April 5, 1984, he took a pass from Johnson and sank his signature skyhook against the Utah Jazz to surpass Wilt Chamberlain’s career total of 31,419 points.

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His skyhook offloads and change of pace have added another dimension to Saracens' game this season as the Premiership leaders show more ambition and adventure with ball in hand.

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In their first game together, Kareem won it on a skyhook in the final seconds.

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When the veteran star spots Johnson, he grudgingly gives the rookie a private lesson, demonstrating how the skyhook is not just another shot but a way to elevate above opponents and “the world.”

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