subs. (common).—1. A card-sharper; a ROOK (q.v.).
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HAWK, c., a Sharper.
1725. A New Canting Dictionary, s.v. HAWK, a Sharper.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. HAWK also signifies a sharper, in opposition to pigeon.
1859. G. W. MATSELL, Vocabulum; or, The Rogue’s Lexicon, s.v. HAWK. A Confidence Man; a swindler.
1891. New York Herald [London ed.], 31 May. These were HAWKS and pigeons, and those who are no longer pigeons, and never had, or will have, an inclination to be HAWKS.
2. (common).—A bailiff; a constable. For synonyms, see BEAK.
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, bk. I., ch. iii. ‘The game’s spoiled this time, Rob Rust, anyhow,’ growled one, in an angry tone; ‘the HAWKS are upon us, and we must leave this brave buck to take care of himself.’
Verb (old).—See quots.
1589. NASHE, The Anatomie of Absurditie, in Works [GROSART, i. 67]. When as by their humming and HAWKING respit, they haue leisure to gesture the mislike of his rudeness.
1600. SHAKESPEARE, As You Like It, v. 3. Shall we clap into ’t roundly, without HAWKING, or spitting, or saying we are hoarse?
1604. MARSTON, The Malcontent, ii., 2. Is he troubled with the cough of the lungs still? Does he HAWKE a night’s?
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. … Also spitting difficultly.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. … HAWKING; an effort to spit up the thick phlegm, called oysters: whence it is wit upon record, to ask the person so doing whether he has a license; a punning allusion to the Act of HAWKERS and pedlars.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, ch. xlvi. This tremendous volley of superlatives which Sampson HAWKED up from the pit of his stomach.
1822. BYRON, The Vision of Judgment, xc.
| Began to cough, and HAWK, and hem, and pitch | |
| His voice into that awful note of woe. |
WARE HAWK! phr. (old).—A warning; look sharp! See subs. sense 2.
d. 1529. SKELTON, Ware Hawk [Title].
1625. JONSON, The Staple of News, v. 2.
| Lick. See! the whole covey is scatter’d; | |
| ’WARE, ’WARE THE HAWKS! |
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. HAWK. WARE HAWK; the word to look sharp, a bye word when a bailiff passes.
1815. SCOTT, Guy Mannering, ch. iii. WARE HAWK! Douse the Glim.
TO HAWK ONE’S MEAT, verb. phr. (common).—To peddle one’s charms, i.e., to show a great deal of neck and breasts. Fr., montrer sa viande.
HAWK-A-MOUTHED, adj. phr. (old).—See quot.
c. 1750. Dialogue in the Devonshire Dialect (Palmer, 1839), s.v. One that is perpetually HAWKING and spitting; also foul-mouthed.
