hawk

The definition of a hawk is a bird of prey with a short hooked bill and strong claws, or someone or something that preys on others.

(noun)

An example of a hawk is a Cooper's hawk.
An example of a hawk is a shark in search of food
An example of a hawk is a person who is an advocate of military force to carry out foreign policy.

To hawk is defined as to hunt or to attack by swooping.

(verb)

An example of to hawk is for a shark to go after a smaller fish.

See hawk in Webster's New World College Dictionary

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
an advocate of all-out war or of measures in international affairs designed to provoke or escalate open hostilities
a person regarded as having the preying or grasping nature of a hawk; cheater; swindler

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

intransitive verb

transitive verb

to attack or prey on as a hawk does

Related Forms:

transitive verb

Origin: < hawker

intransitive verb

to clear the throat audibly

Origin: echoic

transitive verb

to bring up (phlegm) by coughing

noun

an audible clearing of the throat

noun

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

Origin: prob. fig. use of hawk

See hawk in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

Any of various birds of prey of the order Falconiformes and especially of the genera Accipiter and Buteo, characteristically having a short hooked bill and strong claws adapted for seizing.
Any of various similar birds of prey.
A person who preys on others; a shark.
a. One who demonstrates an actively aggressive or combative attitude, as in an argument.
b. A person who favors military force or action in order to carry out foreign policy.

intransitive verb hawked, hawk·ing, hawks

To hunt with trained hawks.
To swoop and strike in the manner of a hawk: “It was fun to watch the scattered snail kites . . . lifting and falling in the wind as they hawked across the shining grass and water” (Peter Matthiessen).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English hauk

Origin: , from Old English hafoc; see kap- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: