Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

chickenhawk

/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.46 in modern English

Syllables: chick-en-hawk
IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/

32

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of the North American hawk species (Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk and red-tailed hawk), or counterparts elsewhere, mistakenly believed to be pests.

noun

A draft dodger, especially in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements.

American usage; Derogatory

noun

An older, usually more powerful man who preys on adolescent boys for sex.

Derogatory; Slang

Example Sentences

"For every instance of Saul's good-humoredly putting one over on the criminal justice system […] to free his younger lover from his latest legal trouble, Rogers recounts callous treatment at the hands of the older man. In addition, Sinbad suffers brutal depredations from the city's other chicken hawks."

Etymology

From chicken + hawk. The political sense is derived from figurative meanings of “coward” and “militant” respectively.

Word Breakdown

Root: *kap-

Usage

Inflected Forms

chickenhawks (plural)

Questions

How do you pronounce chickenhawk?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/.
What does chickenhawk mean?: Any of the North American hawk species (Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk and red-tailed hawk), or counterparts elsewhere, mistakenly believed to be pests.
Where does chickenhawk come from?: From chicken + hawk. The political sense is derived from figurative meanings of “coward” and “militant” respectively.

How to pronounce chickenhawk

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “chickenhawk”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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