Haw, n. [Etymol. uncertain.] (Anat.) The third eyelid, or nictitating
membrane. See Nictitating membrane, under Nictitate.
Haw, n. [Cf. ha an interjection of wonder, surprise, or hesitation.] An
intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like haw!
also, the sound so made. "Hums or haws." Congreve.
Haw, v. i. To stop, in speaking, with a sound like haw; to speak with
interruption and hesitation.
Cut it short; don't prose -- don't hum and haw.
Chesterfield.
Haw, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hawed (hd); p. pr. & vb. n. Hawing.] [Written
also hoi.] [Perhaps connected with here, hither; cf., however, F.
huhau, hurhau, hue, interj. used in turning a horse to the right, G.
hott, h¸, interj. used in calling to a horse.] To turn to the near
side, or toward the driver; -- said of cattle or a team: a word used by
teamsters in guiding their teams, and most frequently in the
imperative. See Gee.
To haw and gee, or To haw and gee about, to go from one thing to
another without good reason; to have no settled purpose; to be
irresolute or unstable. [Colloq.]
Haw, v. t. To cause to turn, as a team, to the near side, or toward the
driver; as, to haw a team of oxen.
To haw and gee, or To haw and gee about, to lead this way and that at
will; to lead by the nose; to master or control. [Colloq.]
Ha*wai"ian (h*w"yan), a. Belonging to Hawaii or the Sandwich Islands,
or to the people of Hawaii. -- n. A native of Hawaii.
Hawe"bake` (h"bk`), n. Probably, the baked berry of the hawthorn tree,
that is, coarse fare. See 1st Haw, 2. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Haw"finch` (h"fnch`), n. (Zoˆl.) The common European grosbeak
(Coccothraustes vulgaris); -- called also cherry finch, and coble.
Haw-haw" (h*h), n. [Duplication of haw a hedge.] See Ha-ha.
Haw*haw", v. i. [Of imitative origin.] To laugh boisterously. [Colloq.
U. S.]
We haw-haw'd, I tell you, for more than half an hour.
Major Jack Downing.
Hawk (hk), n. [OE. hauk (prob. fr. Icel.), havek, AS. hafoc, heafoc;
akin to D. havik, OHG. habuh, G. habicht, Icel. haukr, Sw. hˆk, Dan.
hˆg, prob. from the root of E. heave.] (Zoˆl.) One of numerous species
and genera of rapacious birds of the family FalconidÊ. They differ from
the true falcons in lacking the prominent tooth and notch of the bill,
and in having shorter and less pointed wings. Many are of large size
and grade into the eagles. Some, as the goshawk, were formerly trained
like falcons. In a more general sense the word is not infrequently
applied, also, to true falcons, as the sparrow hawk, pigeon hawk, duck
hawk, and prairie hawk.
Among the common American species are the red-tailed hawk (Buteo
borealis); the red-shouldered (B. lineatus); the broad-winged (B.
Pennsylvanicus); the rough-legged (Archibuteo lagopus); the
sharp-shinned (Accipiter fuscus). See Fishhawk, Goshawk, Marsh hawk,
under Marsh, Night hawk, under Night.
Bee hawk (Zoˆl.), the honey buzzard. -- Eagle hawk. See under Eagle. --
Hawk eagle (Zoˆl.), an Asiatic bird of the genus SpizÊtus, or LimnÊtus,
intermediate between the hawks and eagles. There are several species.
-- Hawk fly (Zoˆl.), a voracious fly of the family AsilidÊ. See Hornet
fly, under Hornet. -- Hawk moth. (Zoˆl.) See Hawk moth, in the
Vocabulary. -- Hawk owl. (Zoˆl.) (a) A northern owl (Surnia ulula) of
Europe and America. It flies by day, and in some respects resembles the
hawks. (b) An owl of India (Ninox scutellatus). -- Hawk's bill
(Horology), the pawl for the rack, in the striking mechanism of a
clock.
Hawk (hk), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Hawked (hkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Hawking.]
1. To catch, or attempt to catch, birds by means of hawks trained for
the purpose, and let loose on the prey; to practice falconry.
A falconer Henry is, when Emma hawks.
Prior.
2. To make an attack while on the wing; to soar and strike like a hawk;
-- generally with at; as, to hawk at flies. Dryden.
A falcon, towering in her pride of place, Was by a mousing owl
hawked at and killed.
Shak.
Hawk, v. i. [W. hochi.] To clear the throat with an audible sound by
forcing an expiratory current of air through the narrow passage between
the depressed soft palate and the root of the tongue, thus aiding in
the removal of foreign substances.
Hawk, v. t. To raise by hawking, as phlegm.
Hawk, n. [W. hoch.] An effort to force up phlegm from the throat,
accompanied with noise.
Hawk, v. t. [Akin to D. hauker a hawker, G. hˆken, hˆcken, to higgle,
to retail, hˆke, hˆker, a higgler, huckster. See Huckster.] To offer
for sale by outcry in the street; to carry (merchandise) about from
place to place for sale; to peddle; as, to hawk goods or pamphlets.
His works were hawked in every street.
Swift.
Hawk, n. (Masonry) A small board, with a handle on the under side, to
hold mortar.
Hawk boy, an attendant on a plasterer to supply him with mortar.
Hawk"bill` (-bl`), n. (Zoˆl.) A sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata),
which yields the best quality of tortoise shell; -- called also caret.
Hawk"bit` (-bt`), n. (Bot.) The fall dandelion (Leontodon autumnale).
Hawked (hkt), a. Curved like a hawk's bill; crooked.
Hawk"er (hk"r), n. One who sells wares by crying them in the street;
hence, a peddler or a packman. Swift.
Hawk"er, v. i. To sell goods by outcry in the street. [Obs.] Hudibras.
Hawk"er, n. [Cf. AS. hafecere. See 1st Hawk.] A falconer.
Hawk"ey (-), n. See Hockey. Holloway.
Hawk"-eyed` (-d`), a. Having a keen eye; sharpsighted; discerning.
Hawk" moth` (mth`; 115). (Zoˆl.) Any moth of the family SphingidÊ, of
which there are numerous genera and species. They are large, handsome
moths, which fly mostly at twilight and hover about flowers like a
humming bird, sucking the honey by means of a long, slender proboscis.
The larvÊ are large, hairless caterpillars ornamented with green and
other bright colors, and often with a caudal spine. See Sphinx, also
Tobacco worm, and Tomato worm.
Tobacco Hawk Moth (Macrosila Carolina), and its Larva, the Tobacco
Worm.
The larvÊ of several species of hawk moths feed on grapevines. The
elm-tree hawk moth is Ceratomia Amyntor.
Hawk"weed` (-wd`), n. (Bot.) (a) A plant of the genus Hieracium; -- so
called from the ancient belief that birds of prey used its juice to
strengthen their vision. (b) A plant of the genus Senecio (S.
hieracifolius). Loudon.
Hawm (hm), n. See Haulm, straw.
Hawm, v. i. [Etymol. uncertain.] To lounge; to loiter. [Prov. Eng.]
Tennyson.
Hawse (hz or hs; 277), n. [Orig. a hawse hole, or hole in the bow of
the ship; cf. Icel. hals, hls, neck, part of the bows of a ship, AS.
heals neck. See Collar, and cf. Halse to embrace.] 1. A hawse hole.
Harris.
2. (Naut.) (a) The situation of the cables when a vessel is moored with
two anchors, one on the starboard, the other on the port bow. (b) The
distance ahead to which the cables usually extend; as, the ship has a
clear or open hawse, or a foul hawse; to anchor in our hawse, or
athwart hawse. (c) That part of a vessel's bow in which are the hawse
holes for the cables.
Athwart hawse. See under Athwart. -- Foul hawse, a hawse in which the
cables cross each other, or are twisted together. -- Hawse block, a
block used to stop up a hawse hole at sea; -- called also hawse plug.
-- Hawse hole, a hole in the bow of a ship, through which a cable
passes. -- Hawse piece, one of the foremost timbers of a ship, through
which the hawse hole is cut. -- Hawse plug. Same as Hawse block
(above). -- To come in at the hawse holes, to enter the naval service
at the lowest grade. [Cant] -- To freshen the hawse, to veer out a
little more cable and bring the chafe and strain on another part.
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Haws"er (hz"r or hs"r), n. [From F. hausser to lift, raise (cf. OF.
hausserÈe towpath, towing, F. haussiËre hawser), LL. altiare, fr. L.
altus high. See Haughty.] A large rope made of three strands each
containing many yarns.
Three hawsers twisted together make a cable; but it nautical usage the
distinction between cable and hawser is often one of size rather than
of manufacture.
Hawser iron, a calking iron.
Haws"er-laid` (-ld`), a. Made in the manner of a hawser. Cf.
Cable-laid, and see Illust. of Cordage.
Haw"thorn` (h"thÙrn`), n. [AS. haga˛orn, hÊg˛orn. See Haw a hedge, and
Thorn.] (Bot.) A thorny shrub or tree (the CratÊgus oxyacantha), having
deeply lobed, shining leaves, small, roselike, fragrant flowers, and a
fruit called haw. It is much used in Europe for hedges, and for
standards in gardens. The American hawthorn is CratÊgus cordata, which
has the leaves but little lobed.
Gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter shade To shepherds?
Shak.
Hay (h), n. [AS. hege: cf. F. haie, of German origin. See Haw a hedge,
Hedge.] 1. A hedge. [Obs.]
2. A net set around the haunt of an animal, especially of a rabbit.
Rowe.
To dance the hay, to dance in a ring. Shak.
Hay, v. i. To lay snares for rabbits. Huloet.
Hay, n. [OE. hei, AS. hg; akin to D. hooi, OHG. hewi, houwi, G. heu,
Dan. & Sw. hˆ, Icel. hey, ha, Goth. hawi grass, fr. the root of E. hew.
See Hew to cut.] Grass cut and cured for fodder.
Make hay while the sun shines.
Camden.
Hay may be dried too much as well as too little.