hawk

C1 Topic:Animals

US /ˈhɔk/ UK /ˈhɔːk/ See IPA manual

Freq #6030

Meanings

1

noun
a bird of prey with keen eyesight, broad wings, and a hooked bill

A hawk circled above the field looking for small mammals.
2

noun
a person who supports aggressive military or foreign policy

Defence hawks demanded a stronger response to the attack.
3

verb
to sell or advertise goods by calling out in public

Vendors hawked fruit and cold drinks outside the stadium.
4

verb
to clear the throat noisily or bring up mucus

He hawked to clear his throat before speaking.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a bird of prey with keen... raptorbird of prey

2 noun · a person who supports... war hawkhard-linermilitarist

3 verb · to sell or advertise goods... peddle vend tout

4 verb · to clear the throat noisily... coughclear one's throat

Opposites

dove pacifist

Word family

Forms Hawks

Derived forms hawklikehawkishhawkishlyhawker

Related forms falcongoshawkraptordove

Common collocations

mosquito hawk Noun + noun

Etymology

The bird name descends from Old English hafoc and Proto-Germanic *habukaz. The political sense contrasts a belligerent hawk with a peaceful dove. The verb meaning 'sell by calling out' arose by back-formation from hawker, while the throat-clearing verb is a separate, probably imitative formation.

Topics

Animals

External links

# hawk

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈhɔk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈhɔːk/
**Frequency rank:** 6030

## Meanings
1. a bird of prey with keen eyesight, broad wings, and a hooked bill
2. a person who supports aggressive military or foreign policy
3. to sell or advertise goods by calling out in public
4. to clear the throat noisily or bring up mucus

## Examples
- A hawk circled above the field looking for small mammals.
- Defence hawks demanded a stronger response to the attack.
- Vendors hawked fruit and cold drinks outside the stadium.
- He hawked to clear his throat before speaking.

## Synonyms
- raptor
- bird of prey
- war hawk
- hard-liner
- peddle
- vend

## Antonyms
- dove
- pacifist

## Derived Forms
- hawklike
- hawkish
- hawkishly
- hawker

## Related Forms
- falcon
- goshawk
- raptor
- dove

## Etymology
The bird name descends from Old English hafoc and Proto-Germanic *habukaz. The political sense contrasts a belligerent hawk with a peaceful dove. The verb meaning 'sell by calling out' arose by back-formation from hawker, while the throat-clearing verb is a separate, probably imitative formation.

## Topics
- Animals

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