1
2
: a small board or metal sheet with a handle on the underside used to hold mortar
3
: one who takes a militant or combative attitude (as in a dispute) and advocates immediate vigorous action
especially
: a supporter of a war or warlike policy compare dove entry 1
hawked; hawking; hawks
1
: to hunt birds by means of a trained hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1) : to practice falconry
2
: to soar and strike like a hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1)
birds hawking after insects
: to hunt (someone or something) in flight like a hawk (see hawk entry 1 sense 1)
hawking insects
hawked; hawking; hawks
1
: to raise by trying to clear the throat
hawk up phlegm
2
informal
: to forcefully spit out (something, such as phlegm) : hock entry 5
hawk a loogie
: to utter a harsh guttural sound in or as if in trying to clear the throat
: an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat
hawked; hawking; hawks
: to offer (something) for sale by calling out in the street
hawking newspapers
broadly
: sell
Synonyms
Noun (1)
Verb (3)
Examples of hawk in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the hawks were claiming that without war there could be no peace
Verb (3)
a determined bootstrapper who went from hawking newspapers on the street corner to running a media empire
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
But why sit indoors when there were hawks, and bears, and stars, and even an extremely rare American chestnut sapling to observe outside?
—Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Who in Nicholson’s life was going around hawking literal pieces of him?
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hawk 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Kilbourn, a resident of the Northwoods, has worked as a web designer at a medical device manufacturer and most recently worked as a design strategist for Target.
Tiffany, who lives in Minocqua, has campaigned as a hawk on border security and stricter immigration laws.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
But why sit indoors when there were hawks, and bears, and stars, and even an extremely rare American chestnut sapling to observe outside?
—Brienne Walsh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
For a while, this seemed to be his lot: hawking life insurance and bamboo bedsheets on X and iTunes.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Who in Nicholson’s life was going around hawking literal pieces of him?
—Chris Stanton, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hawk
Dictionary Entries Near hawk
Cite this Entry
“Hawk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawk. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hawk
2 of 4 verb
: to hunt birds by means of a trained hawk
hawk
3 of 4 verb
: to offer for sale by calling out in the street
hawk vegetables
hawk
4 of 4 verb1
: to make a harsh coughing sound in or as if in clearing the throat
2
: to raise by hawking
hawk up phlegm
Etymology
Noun
Old English hafoc "hawk"
Verb
back-formation from 2hawker
Medical Definition
hawk
1 of 2 transitive verb
: to raise by trying to clear the throat
hawk up phlegm
: to make a harsh coughing sound in clearing the throat
hawk
2 of 2 noun
: an audible effort to force up phlegm from the throat
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