hawk
UK[hɔːk]US[hɔːk]
n
a type of bird of prey with a strong hooked bill and sharp talons, known for hunting small animals.
n
a person who advocates an aggressive or warlike policy, especially in foreign affairs.
v
to carry about and offer (goods) for sale, typically advertising them by shouting.
Etymology
the word 'hawk' originates from the old english 'hafoc', which has cognates in other germanic languages such as old norse 'haukr' and old high german 'habuh'. this term is of proto-germanic origin, from the root habukaz. its ultimate pre-germanic origin is uncertain, though it may be imitative of the bird's cry or derived from a root meaning 'to seize', reflecting its nature as a bird of prey. the verb sense, meaning to peddle goods, arose in the 16th century, possibly from the notion of carrying burdens like a hawk, while the political sense emerged in the 1960s as an analogy to the bird's aggressive hunting behavior.
Analysis
the word 'hawk' is a simplex word of germanic origin. it is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern english.
Examples
a hawk circled high above the field, searching for its next meal.
during the debate, he was labeled a hawk for his insistence on military intervention.
vendors would hawk souvenirs and trinkets to the tourists along the boardwalk.