dawk
/dɔːk/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.27 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who advocates neither an aggressive nor a conciliatory political attitude (especially in foreign policy).
Example Sentences
- "THE DAWK was a slight concavity or depression in the body of the cast type , made by a corresponding convexity in the mould"
- "In the analysis that follows, I shall explore the foreign policy views of three distinct factions within the Chinese elite: “hawks, doves, and dawks.” In my view, the “dawks,” “centrists,” or more precisely, Maoists, have won."
- "During the mutiny of 1857–58, when several young surgeons had arrived in India, whose services were urgently needed at the front, it is said that the Head of the Department to which they had reported themselves, directed them immediately to 'lay a dawk.' One of them turned back from the door, saying: 'Would you explain, Sir; for you might just as well tell me to lay an egg!'"
Etymology
Origin
- Source language: Old English
Word Breakdown
- Root: dalc
Usage
- British usage
- Transitive verb
- Archaic