hawk

English Online Dictionary. What means hawk‎? What does hawk mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: hôk, IPA^(key): /hɔːk/
• (US) enPR: hôk, IPA^(key): /hɔk/
  • (cot–caught merger) enPR: häk IPA^(key): /hɑk/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): [hɔ(ː)k]
• Rhymes: -ɔːk
• Homophone: hock (cot–caught merger)

Etymology 1

From Middle English hauk, hauke, hawke, havek, from Old English hafoc (“hawk”), from Proto-West Germanic *habuk, from Proto-Germanic *habukaz, controversially derived from a Proto-Indo-European *kopuǵos, perhaps ultimately derived from *keh₂p- (“seize”).

See also West Frisian hauk, German Low German Haavke, Dutch havik, German Habicht, Swedish hök, Danish høg, Norwegian Bokmål hauk, Norwegian Nynorsk hauk, Faroese heykur, Icelandic haukur, Finnish haukka, Estonian haugas; also Latin capys, capus (“bird of prey”), Albanian gabonjë, shkabë (“eagle”), Russian ко́бец (kóbec, “falcon”), Polish kobuz (“Eurasian Hobby”)).

Noun

hawk (plural hawks)

2. A diurnal predatory bird of the family Accipitridae, smaller than an eagle.
3. Any diurnal predatory terrestrial bird of similar size and appearance to the accipitrid hawks, such as a falcon.
4. (entomology) Any of various species of dragonfly of the genera Apocordulia and Austrocordulia, endemic to Australia.
5. (politics) An advocate of aggressive political positions and actions. [from 1962]

   Synonyms: warmonger, war hawk

   Antonym: dove
6. (game theory) An uncooperative or purely selfish participant in an exchange or game, especially when untrusting, acquisitive or treacherous. Refers specifically to the prisoner's dilemma, a.k.a. the Hawk-Dove game.

   Antonym: dove

7. (US, especially Chicago, and nationwide in African-American, often with "the") Cold, sharp or biting wind.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Related terms

• creshawk
• goshawk
• sparhawk

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: aka

Translations

Verb

hawk (third-person singular simple present hawks, present participle hawking, simple past and past participle hawked)

1. (transitive) To hunt with a hawk.
2. (intransitive) To make an attack while on the wing; to soar and strike like a hawk.

Derived terms

• hawk after
• hawk at
• hawk for
• hawker
• hawking

Translations

Etymology 2

Uncertain; perhaps from Middle English hache (“battle-axe”), or from a variant use of the above, for this compare with Russian со́кол (sókol, “falcon, but also a hawk (plaster's tool), mortarboard”).

Noun

hawk (plural hawks)

1. A plasterer's tool, made of a flat surface with a handle below, used to hold an amount of plaster prior to application to the wall or ceiling being worked on: a mortarboard.

   Synonym: mortarboard

Derived terms

• hawk boy, hawk-boy

Translations

Etymology 3

Back-formation from hawker.

Verb

hawk (third-person singular simple present hawks, present participle hawking, simple past and past participle hawked)

1. (transitive) To sell; to offer for sale by outcry in the street; to carry (merchandise) about from place to place for sale; to peddle.

Derived terms

• hawked
• hawkery
• hawking
• hawky

Related terms

• hawker

Translations

Etymology 4

Probably imitative, like hock (“cough”), hack (“cough”), although see the latter entry for more.

Noun

hawk (plural hawks)

1. A noisy effort to force up phlegm from the throat.

   Synonym: hawking

Translations

Verb

hawk (third-person singular simple present hawks, present participle hawking, simple past and past participle hawked)

2. (transitive, intransitive) To expectorate, to cough up (something, such as mucus) from one's throat; to produce (something) by coughing or clearing one's throat.

   to hawk a loogie
3. (transitive, intransitive) To try to cough up something from one's throat; to clear the throat loudly; to cough heavily, especially causing uvular frication.

Derived terms

• hawk tuah
• hawking (noun)

Translations

See also

• Hawkshaw, hawkshaw
• Hawkubite
• winkle-hawk

Further reading

• hawk on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

Anagrams

• Khaw

Manx

Noun

hawk

1. Lenited form of shawk.