hawk Definition

hawk¹
noun

1. A relatively small diurnal bird of prey with short rounded wings and very good eyesight which hunts by pouncing on small birds and mammals.
2. In the USA: any of various falcons.
3. politics.
A person favouring force and aggression rather than peaceful means of settling disputes. Compare dove² (sense 2).
Thesaurus: warmonger, militarist, belligerent, chauvinist, jingoist; Antonym: dove, pacifist.
4. A ruthless or grasping person.

verb hawked, hawking

intr
1. To hunt with a hawk.
intr
2. Said of falcons or hawks: to fly in search of prey.
3. To pursue or attack on the wing, as a hawk does.

Derivative: hawking
noun

Derivative: hawkish
adj

Like a hawk.

Derivative: hawklike
adj

Idiom: know a hawk from a handsaw

To be able to judge between things pretty well.

Idiom: watch someone like a hawk

To watch them closely.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon hafoc.

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hawk²
verb hawked, hawking

1. To carry (goods) round, usually from door to door, trying to sell them.
2. To spread news, gossip, etc.

Thesaurus: peddle, sell, vend, tout, market.
Form: hawk about (often)

Etymology: 16c: a back-formation from hawker².

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hawk³
verb hawked, hawking

intr
1. To clear the throat noisily.
2. To bring phlegm up from the throat.

noun

1. The act or an instance of doing one of the above.

Etymology: 16c.

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hawk⁴
noun

1. A mortarboard 1.