skyhook

American  

[skahy-hook] / ˈskaɪˌhʊk /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of skyhook

First recorded in 1910–15; sky + hook ¹

Example Sentences

He’d go to parks with his father, Albert Sr., who taught him how to put the proper spin, “some English,” on a finger roll layup and mimic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2024

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.

From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2023

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.

From BBC • Dec. 9, 2022

May 10, 1974: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forces the NBA Finals to a seventh game with his skyhook for a 102-101 win in double overtime over the Celtics in Boston.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2021

On St. Patrick's Day a skyhook balloon launched from Holloman AFB, adjacent to the White Sands Proving Ground, did burst near Farmington, and it was cold enough at 60,000 feet to make the balloon brittle.

From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Ruppelt, Edward J.