hawking
C1Formal, Historical, Literary; can also be informal when referring to informal street vending.
Definition
Meaning
The act of peddling goods or offering something for sale, especially by calling out or moving from place to place.
Can also refer to the action of hunting with a hawk or falcon (falconry). Also used as the surname of physicist Stephen Hawking.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb for selling, it implies persistence and a somewhat intrusive or low-prestige method. The falconry sense is archaic but understood in historical contexts. The surname is now highly salient.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use it. The 'selling' sense might be slightly more common in UK English in certain formal/legal contexts (e.g., 'street hawking').
Connotations
In both, 'hawking wares' has an old-fashioned or literary feel. It can carry slightly negative connotations of being pushy.
Frequency
Overall low frequency. The falconry sense is rare; the 'selling' sense is formal/niche. The surname reference dominates modern usage.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] + be hawking + [Object] (e.g., They were hawking cheap watches.)[Subject] + hawk + [Object] + [Adverbial of place] (e.g., He hawked flowers in the market square.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To hawk one's wares.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in historical contexts or describing informal street economies.
Academic
Used in history/sociology texts describing pre-modern or informal commerce.
Everyday
Very rare. Most common in the phrase 'hawking his/her wares' in storytelling.
Technical
Not used. Falconry is the technical domain for the hunting sense.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He made a living hawking the Evening Standard outside the tube station.
- Traders were hawking Union Jack souvenirs along the royal route.
American English
- Vendors were hawking T-shirts and hot dogs outside the stadium.
- He spent the summer hawking knives door-to-door.
adverb
British English
- N/A. 'Hawkingly' is not a standard adverb.
American English
- N/A. 'Hawkingly' is not a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- The hawking trade has declined with modern retail.
- He was subject to a hawking licence from the council.
American English
- Hawking activities are regulated by city ordinance.
- The street's hawking culture was vibrant.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man is hawking newspapers.
- I saw a woman hawking flowers.
- In the old city, you can find people hawking souvenirs to tourists.
- He was hawking his handmade jewellery on the pavement.
- The practice of hawking goods without a permit is illegal in many municipalities.
- Throughout history, pedlars have made their living by hawking wares from village to village.
- The economist's thesis examined the informal economy of hawking that emerged in the post-war period.
- Despite local bylaws, the persistent hawking of counterfeit goods continued unabated in the market square.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a HAWK with sharp eyes, circling and looking for an opportunity to sell (or hunt). The persistent cry of a hawk is like a vendor's call.
Conceptual Metaphor
SELLING IS HUNTING (the vendor 'hunts' for customers).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'hacking' (компьютерный взлом).
- Not directly related to the bird 'hawk' (ястреб) in modern usage, though etymologically connected.
- The surname 'Hawking' has no direct translation; avoid literal interpretations.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'hawking' (selling) with 'hocking' (pawning).
- Using it as a general synonym for 'selling' in formal retail contexts (it's too specific).
- Misspelling as 'halking' or 'hauking'.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the word 'hawking' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's relatively rare and has an old-fashioned or formal/literary feel. It's mostly used in fixed phrases like 'hawking his wares' or in specific legal/contextual descriptions of street vending.
Etymologically, the verb 'to hawk' (sell) likely comes from the idea of a hawker carrying goods on their back, unrelated to the bird. The bird name comes from a different Old English root. The falconry sense ('to hunt with a hawk') is, of course, directly from the bird.
'Hawking' implies an active, often intrusive, effort to sell by moving around, calling out, or approaching potential buyers. It's associated with informal, small-scale, or itinerant sales, not formal retail in a fixed location.
Yes, 'Hawking' is his surname. When used as a proper noun (e.g., 'Hawking radiation', 'Hawking's theories'), it refers to him. When used as a common noun/verb, it does not.