hawker

UK: /ˈhɔːkə^r/ US: (hô′kər)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hawk•er¹  (hô′kər), n. 

1. Sport a person who hunts with hawks or other birds of prey.

• bef. 1000; Middle English; Old English hafecere. See hawk¹, -er¹

hawk•er²  (hô′kər), n. 

1. a person who offers goods for sale by shouting his or her wares in the street or going from door to door;
   peddler.

• Middle Low German haker retail dealer; akin to Middle Dutch hac in same sense; compare huckster
• late Middle English 1375–1425

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hawker / ˈhɔːkə/ noun

1. a person who travels from place to place selling goods

Etymology: 16th Century: probably from Middle Low German hōker, from hōken to peddle; see huckster

hawker / ˈhɔːkə/ noun

1. a person who hunts with hawks, falcons, etc

Etymology: Old English hafecere; see hawk¹, -er¹

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

hawk¹ /hɔk/   n. [countable]

1. Birds a bird that catches animals for food, having a short, hooked beak, broad wings, and curved claws.
2. Government a person who calls for aggressive action in settling disputes.

hawk•ish, adj. 

hawk² /hɔk/   v. [~ + object]

1. to offer for sale, esp. by calling out loud in public;
   peddle:
   hawking souvenirs to tourists.

hawk•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

hawk¹  (hôk), n. 

1. Birds any of numerous birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, having a short, hooked beak, broad wings, and curved talons, often seen circling or swooping at low altitudes.
2. Birds any of several similar, unrelated birds, as the nighthawk.
3. Informal Terms a person who preys on others, as a sharper.
4. Informal Terms, Government Also called war hawk. a person, esp. one in public office, who advocates war or a belligerent national attitude. Cf. dove (def. 5).
5. any person who pursues an aggressive policy in business, government, etc.:
   The corporation is now run by a bunch of young hawks.

v.i. 

6. Zoology to fly, or hunt on the wing, like a hawk.
7. to hunt with hawks.

• bef. 900; Middle English hauk(e), Old English hafoc; cognate with Old Frisian havek, Old Saxon habuc Old High German habuh, Old Norse haukr hawk, perh. Polish kobuz kind of falcon

hawk′like′, adj. 

hawk²  (hôk), v.t. 

1. to peddle or offer for sale by calling aloud in public.
2. to advertise or offer for sale:
   to hawk soap on television.
3. to spread (rumors, news, etc.).

v.i. 

4. to carry wares about for sale;
   peddle.

• back formation from hawker² 1470–80

hawk³  (hôk), v.i. 

1. to make an effort to raise phlegm from the throat;
   clear the throat noisily.

v.t. 

2. to raise by hawking:
   to hawk phlegm up.

n. 

3. a noisy effort to clear the throat.

• 1575–85; imitative; see haw¹

hawk⁴  (hôk), n. 

1. Building a small, square board with a handle underneath it, used by plasterers and masons to hold plaster or mortar being applied.

• 1350–1400; Middle English; perh. variant of hache battle-ax (see hatchet)

Hawk  (hôk), n. [Mil.]

1. Military a medium-range, mobile U.S. surface-to-air missile system.

• H(oming) A(ll the) west, western(ay) K(iller)