know a hawk from a handsaw 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.