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hawk¹ Definition

hawk (hôk)

noun

    1. any of various accipitrine birds having short, rounded wings and a long tail and legs, as Cooper's hawk, goshawk, and the harriers
    2. loosely any of various other birds of prey, as falcons and ospreys
  2. an advocate of all-out war or of measures in international affairs designed to provoke or escalate open hostilities
  3. a person regarded as having the preying or grasping nature of a hawk; cheater; swindler

Etymology: ME hauk < OE hafoc, akin to Ger habicht, Pol kobuz, falcon

intransitive verb

  1. to hunt birds or other small game with the help of falcons or other hawks
  2. to attack by or as by swooping and striking

transitive verb

to attack or prey on as a hawk does

hawk¹ Related Forms

hawk′·ish adjective hawk′·like′ adjective

hawk² Definition

hawk (hôk)

transitive verb

  1. to advertise or peddle (goods) in the streets by shouting
  2. to advertise or sell: a mildly contemptuous term

Etymology: < hawker

hawk³ Definition

hawk (hôk)

intransitive verb

to clear the throat audibly

Etymology: echoic

transitive verb

to bring up (phlegm) by coughing

noun

an audible clearing of the throat

hawk4 Definition

hawk (hôk)

noun

a flat, square piece of wood or metal with a handle underneath, for carrying mortar or plaster

Etymology: prob. fig. use of hawk

hawk Synonyms

hawk

n.

  1. A member of the Accipitridae

    bird of prey, one of the Falconiformes, falcon; see bird 1.

    Types of hawks include: red-tailed, zone-tailed, white tailed, short-tailed, broad-winged, short-winged, common black, American sparrow hawk, English sparrow hawk, bush, roadside, duck hawk, hen, fish hawk, prairie, marsh, gray, blue, Cooper's, Harlan's, Swainson's, Harris', noble, ignoble, ferruginous, sharp-shinned, broad-winged, rough-legged, goshawk, windhover, night-hawk, English hobby, hobby, merlin, jack merlin, peregrine, tiercel, osprey, harrier, kite, kestrel, caracara, lugar, lanner, saker, eyas, haggard, gyrefalcon.

  2. A warlike person

    militarist, chauvinist, jingoist, belligerent, warmonger, chauvin, jingo, hothead; see also conservative, radical.

hawk Usage Examples

Object

  • insect: To the north of Le Rozier, Alpine Swifts and Crag Martins joined Common Swifts hawking insects around the mountain sides and river valley.
  • overhead: A couple of Rufous-bellied Nighthawks were again noted hawking overhead by those arriving a fraction early.

Converse of object

fly: The flying hawk goes up to the sky, The fish jump to the depths.

Followed by an intransitive particle

around: These were hawked around for sale to anyone with some money.

Adjective modifier

  • wild: The wild hawk is accustomed to prey on tame birds; the domestic hawk on wild.
  • leading: The OSP reports directly to Paul Wolfowitz, a leading hawk in the administration.
  • domestic: The domestic hawk, in contrast, is like a spiritual father.
  • black: And black hawk will play in are off for.
  • American: Without Blair, Chirac will remain exposed to all sorts of petty revenge by American hawks.
  • red: French company came know what it's the park is at red hawk.

Modifies a noun

  • moth: The first hawk moth also appeared, a Poplar on the 6th.
  • eagle: There will also be a simulated hunt, in which a Harris hawk or hawk eagle tracks an ' electric rabbit ' .
  • owl: Hawks owls and song birds sat on the wire.

Noun used with modifier

  • sparrow: More recently, we have had a sparrow hawk visit.
  • hummingbird: Peter Ward had seen a hummingbird hawk moth on North Marine Road back in June.
  • elephant: Moths such as the bright pink and lime green elephant hawk moth.
  • chicken: I think we should send all war lovin chicken hawks to Iraq.
  • administration: Many believe that if Iraq once again allows inspections it may create a substantial diplomatic obstacle between Bush administration hawks and an Iraqi invasion.

Preposition: in

administration: The hawks in the administration show no enthusiasm at all for reining in their rogue ally.

Preposition: for

insect: They can be spotted either hawking for insects or taking them from the ground.