hawks
hawks
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "hawks" is /hɔːks/.
Syllable Breakdown
First and only syllable: "hawks"
/h/ - voiceless glottal fricative (like the 'h' in "hat")
/ɔː/ - open-mid back rounded vowel (like the 'aw' in "saw")
/k/ - voiceless velar stop (like the 'k' in "cat")
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative (like the 's' in "sun")
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: hawk
Plural: hawks
Verb:
Base form: hawk
Third-person singular present: hawks
Present participle: hawking
Past tense: hawked
Past participle: hawked
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A medium-sized predatory bird of the family Accipitridae, known for its sharp vision, hooked beak, and powerful talons. Hawks typically have broad, rounded wings and a long tail, and are renowned for their ability to hunt other birds and small mammals in flight or from a perch.
Synonyms: raptor, bird of prey, falcon, osprey, kite
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as this is a specific type of animal. You could say "prey" as an antonym for the role it plays in the food chain.)
A person who advocates for an aggressive or warlike foreign policy, or who favors strong and decisive action in a political or military context.
Synonyms: warmonger, militarist, hardliner, firebrand
Antonyms: dove, peacemaker, pacifist, moderate
Verb
To carry goods for sale from place to place, especially by calling out one's wares.
Synonyms: peddle, vend, huckster, market, sell
Antonyms: buy, purchase, acquire, obtain
To clear the throat of phlegm with a sudden, forceful sound.
Synonyms: spit, expectorate, hack
Antonyms: swallow, ingest
Examples of Use
Noun - As a bird of prey
"The red-tailed hawk circled high above the fields, its keen eyes searching for any sign of movement below."
"While on a hiking trip, we spotted a juvenile hawk perched on a branch, its feathers still a mixture of brown and white."
In the novel My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George, the protagonist Sam Gribley befriends and trains a falcon he names Frightful, a type of hawk.
Noun - As a person advocating for aggressive policy
"The president's new advisors are known as hawks, favoring a strong military response to the crisis rather than diplomatic talks." (The New York Times, June 2024)
"The political debate was sharply divided between the hawks who wanted to escalate sanctions and the doves who argued for negotiation."
"The latest talk show panel was dominated by a well-known hawk who argued for a pre-emptive strike against the rival nation."
Verb - To sell goods
"The street vendor hawked bottled water and snacks to the crowds waiting for the concert to start."
"During the intermission at the theater, ushers hawked programs and small souvenirs to the patrons."
In the classic film The Music Man, Professor Harold Hill "hawks" his band instruments and uniforms to the townsfolk of River City.
Verb - To clear the throat
"He had to stop his speech and hawk a few times before he could continue, his voice hoarse from the cold."
"The old man sat on the porch, hawking and spitting into the dirt every few minutes."
10 Famous Quotes Using Hawks
"Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life: bright the hawk's flight on the empty sky." - Ursula K. Le Guin
"A fool is he who would contend with the stronger. He loseth the victory and suffereth anguish with his shame. " So spake the swift-flying hawk, the long-winged bird. (From Hesiod's Works and Days)
"The silence holds with its gloved hand the wild hawk of the mind." - R. S. Thomas
"The hawk is aerial brother of the wave which he sails over and surveys, those his perfect air-inflated wings answering to the elemental unfledged pinions of the sea." - Henry David Thoreau
"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell," Holly advised him. "That was Doc's mistake... A hawk with a hurt wing." - Truman Capote (Breakfast at Tiffany's)
"How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong look like right." - Black Hawk
"In this world of ours, the sparrow must live like a hawk if he is to fly at all." - Hayao Miyazaki
"I am the hawk and there's blood in my feathers, but time is still turning they soon will be dry." - John Denver ("The Eagle and the Hawk")
"The street vendor hawked bottled water and snacks to the crowds waiting for the concert to start."
"The president's new advisors are known as hawks, favoring a strong military response to the crisis rather than diplomatic talks." (The New York Times, June 2024)
Etymology
The word "hawk" has a long history, dating back to Old English. It comes from the Old English word hafoc or heafoc. This is part of a larger family of related words found in other Germanic languages, like the Old High German word habuh and the Old Norse word haukr.
The original meaning was the name of the bird of prey we still call a hawk today. This is the first known and most enduring use of the word. The word's root is believed to be connected to an ancient word meaning "to grasp" or "to seize," which makes perfect sense for a bird known for its powerful talons and hunting style.
Over time, the word's meaning expanded beyond just the bird. The verb "to hawk," meaning to clear your throat, developed later, likely because the harsh sound made is similar to a sharp cry. The verb "to hawk," meaning to peddle goods, also emerged much later, possibly from the idea of a street vendor calling out their wares in a loud, attention-grabbing way, similar to a bird's cry, or perhaps from the notion of swooping in on a customer.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Hawks
Hawk-eyed: Having very sharp eyesight, like a hawk.
To hawk a line: To vigorously promote or sell a particular product or idea.
To watch like a hawk: To observe something or someone very carefully and closely.
Doves and hawks: A political idiom describing two opposing groups, one favoring peace and diplomacy and the other favoring military action and aggression.
To be a hawk: To be a person who supports an aggressive or warlike foreign policy.
A hawk on the wind: A phrase to describe a state of readiness or vigilance.
The hawk's cry: A poetic phrase for a sharp, piercing sound.
To fly like a hawk: To move with great speed and purpose, often used to describe a person.
A hawk's shadow: A metaphorical phrase for an impending threat or danger.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of hawks from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
