Hawk

/hɔːk/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A large bird of prey with sharp talons and a keen sense of sight, typically known for hunting small to medium-sized animals.

The hawk circled high above the field, scanning for its next meal.

A person who advocates for war or aggressive policies.

The senator is known as a hawk when it comes to military intervention.

In stock trading, a trader who promotes aggressive strategies and seeks quick profits.

As a hawk in the trading room, she always pushed for high-risk investments.

verb

To hunt or pursue as a hawk does, often used metaphorically.

The detective hawked the suspect for days, determined to catch him.

To sell goods aggressively or promote something loudly or insistently.

The street vendors hawked their wares loudly to attract customers.

Middle English ‘ hauke’, from Old English ‘ hafoc’, of Germanic origin.

hawk the goods

To aggressively sell or promote products.

a hawk in a dove's clothing

Someone who appears peaceful but is actually aggressive in their policies.

falcon

A bird of prey similar to a hawk but generally smaller and faster.

eagle

A larger bird of prey known for its strength and size.

raptor

A term used for birds of prey, including hawks, eagles, and falcons.

To hawk means to sell items directly to customers, often in a pushy manner.

He hawked his wares at the street market all day.

In poker, to hawk can refer to watching others play closely and waiting for the right moment to act.

He was hawking the table, looking for a weakness in his opponents.