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

Synonyms:

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