Hawk Definition

hôk
hawked, hawking, hawks
noun
hawks
Any of various accipitrine birds having short, rounded wings and a long tail and legs, as the Cooper's hawk, the goshawk, and the harriers.
Webster's New World
Any of various other birds of prey, as falcons and ospreys.
Webster's New World
A person who preys on others; a shark.
American Heritage
A person regarded as having the preying or grasping nature of a hawk; cheater; swindler.
Webster's New World
One who demonstrates an actively aggressive or combative attitude, as in an argument.
American Heritage
Antonyms:
verb
hawked, hawking, hawks
To attack or prey on as a hawk does.
Webster's New World
To hunt birds or other small game with the help of falcons or other hawks.
Webster's New World
To advertise or peddle (goods) in the streets by shouting.
Webster's New World
To peddle (goods) aggressively, especially by calling out.
American Heritage
To attack by or as by swooping and striking.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:

Origin of Hawk

  • Middle English hauk, from Old English hafoc, from Proto-Germanic *habukaz (compare West Frisian hauk, Dutch havik, German Habicht), from Proto-Indo-European *kobuĝo (compare Latin capys, capus 'bird of prey', Albanian gabonjë, shkabë 'eagle', Russian кобец (kóbec) 'falcon', Polish kobuz 'Eurasian Hobby').

    From Wiktionary

  • Uncertain origin; perhaps from Middle English hache (“battle-axe”), or from a variant use of the above.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English hauk from Old English hafoc kap- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English hauken back-formation from hauker hawker

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Back-formation from hawker.

    From Wiktionary

  • Imitative

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Onomatopoeia.

    From Wiktionary

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