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hook

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
hook  (hk)
n.
1.
a. A curved or sharply bent device, usually of metal, used to catch, drag, suspend, or fasten something else.
b. A fishhook.
2. Something shaped like a hook, especially:
a. A curved or barbed plant or animal part.
b. A short angled or curved line on a letter.
c. A sickle.
3.
a. A sharp bend or curve, as in a river.
b. A point or spit of land with a sharply curved end.
4. A means of catching or ensnaring; a trap.
5. Slang
a. A means of attracting interest or attention; an enticement: a sales hook.
b. Music A catchy motif or refrain: "sugary hard rock melodies [and] ear candy hooks" Boston Globe.
6. Sports
a. A short swinging blow in boxing delivered with a crooked arm.
b. The course of a ball that curves in a direction away from the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the left of a right-handed player.
c. A stroke that sends a ball on such a course.
d. A ball propelled on such a course.
e. In surfing, the lip of a breaking wave.
7. Baseball A curve ball.
8. Basketball A hook shot.
v. hooked, hook·ing, hooks
v.tr.
1.
a. To catch, suspend, or connect with a hook.
b. Informal To snare.
c. Slang To steal; snatch. See Synonyms at steal.
2. To fasten by or as if by a hook.
3. To pierce or gore with or as if with a hook.
4. Slang
a. To take strong hold of; captivate: a novel that hooked me on the very first page.
b. To cause to become addicted.
5. To make (a rug) by looping yarn through canvas with a type of hook.
6. Sports
a. To hit with a hook in boxing.
b. To hit (a golf ball) in a hook.
7. Baseball To pitch (a ball) with a curve.
8. Basketball To shoot (a ball) in a hook shot.
9. Sports To impede the progress of (an opponent in ice hockey) by holding or restraining the player with one's stick, in violation of the rules.
v.intr.
1. To bend like a hook.
2. To fasten by means of a hook or a hook and eye.
3. Slang To work as a prostitute.
Phrasal Verb:
hook up
1. To assemble or wire (a mechanism).
2. To connect a mechanism and a source of power.
3. Slang
a. To meet or associate: We agreed to hook up after class. He hooked up with the wrong crowd.
b. To become romantically or sexually involved with someone.
c. To marry or get married.
Idioms:
by hook or by crook
By whatever means possible, fair or unfair.
get the hook Slang
To be unceremoniously dismissed or terminated.
hook, line, and sinker Informal
Without reservation; completely: swallowed the excuse hook, line, and sinker.
off the hook Informal
Freed, as from blame or a vexatious obligation: let me off the hook with a mild reprimand.
on (one's) own hook
By one's own efforts.

[Middle English hok, from Old English hc; see keg- in Indo-European roots.]

hook
Noun
1. a curved piece of metal or plastic used to hang, hold, or pull something
2. something resembling a hook, such as a sharp bend in a river or a sharply curved strip of land
3. Boxing a short swinging blow with the elbow bent
4. Cricket, golf a shot that causes the ball to go to the player's left
5. by hook or by crook by any means: get into the charts by hook or by crook
6. hook, line, and sinker Informal completely: we fell for it hook, line, and sinker
7. let someone off the hook Slang to free someone from an obligation or a difficult situation
8. sling one's hook Brit & Austral slang to leave
Verb
1. to fasten with or as if with a hook
2. to catch (a fish) on a hook
3. Cricket, golf to play (a ball) with a hook
4. Rugby to obtain and pass (the ball) backwards from a scrum, using the feet [Old English hōc]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.hookhook - a catch for locking a door
catch - a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
2.hook - a sharp curve or crook; a shape resembling a hook
curve, curved shape - the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
uncus - (biology) any hook-shaped process or part
3.hookhook - anything that serves as an enticement
enticement, temptation - something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
4.hook - a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something
anchor, ground tackle - a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
clothes hanger, coat hanger, dress hanger - a hanger that is shaped like a person's shoulders and used to hang garments on
grapnel, grapple, grappling hook, grappling iron, grappler - a tool consisting of several hooks for grasping and holding; often thrown with a rope
mechanical device - mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles
pothook - an S-shaped hook to suspend a pot over a fire
tenterhook - one of a series of hooks used to hold cloth on a tenter
5.hook - a curved or bent implement for suspending or pulling something
barb - a subsidiary point facing opposite from the main point that makes an arrowhead or spear hard to remove
boat hook - pole-handled hook used to pull or push boats
buttonhook - a hook for pulling a button through a buttonhole
crotchet - a small tool or hooklike implement
cup hook - hook (usually on the underside of a shelf) for hanging cups
fishhook - a sharp barbed hook for catching fish
gaff - an iron hook with a handle; used for landing large fish
gig - a cluster of hooks (without barbs) that is drawn through a school of fish to hook their bodies; used when fish are not biting
implement - instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
meat hook - a strong pointed hook from which the carcasses of animals are hung
skyhook - a hook that is imagined to be suspended from the sky
6.hook - a golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer; "he took lessons to cure his hooking"
golf shot, golf stroke, swing - the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it
7.hook - a short swinging punch delivered from the side with the elbow bent
biff, punch, lick, clout, poke, slug - (boxing) a blow with the fist; "I gave him a clout on his nose"
roundhouse - a hook delivered with an exaggerated swing
8.hookhook - a basketball shot made over the head with the hand that is farther from the basket
basketball shot - throwing the basketball toward the hoop; "his shot hit the rim and bounced out"
Verb1.hook - fasten with a hook
fasten, fix, secure - cause to be firmly attached; "fasten the lock onto the door"; "she fixed her gaze on the man"
hook up - connect or link; "hook up the houses to the gas supply line"; "Hook up the components of the new sound system"
unhook - take off a hook
2.hook - rip off; ask an unreasonable price
extort, gouge, wring, rack, squeeze - obtain by coercion or intimidation; "They extorted money from the executive by threatening to reveal his past to the company boss"; "They squeezed money from the owner of the business by threatening him"
cheat, rip off, chisel - deprive somebody of something by deceit; "The con-man beat me out of $50"; "This salesman ripped us off!"; "we were cheated by their clever-sounding scheme"; "They chiseled me out of my money"
3.hook - make a piece of needlework by interlocking and looping thread with a hooked needle; "She sat there crocheting all day"
handicraft - a craft that requires skillful hands
crochet - create by looping or crocheting; "crochet a bedspread"
loop, intertwine - make a loop in; "loop a rope"
4.hook - hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels to the left
golf, golf game - a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes
hit - cause to move by striking; "hit a ball"
5.hook - take by theft; "Someone snitched my wallet!"
steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
6.hook - make off with belongings of others
steal - take without the owner's consent; "Someone stole my wallet on the train"; "This author stole entire paragraphs from my dissertation"
7.hook - hit with a hook; "His opponent hooked him badly"
boxing, pugilism, fisticuffs - fighting with the fists
hit - deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument; "He hit her hard in the face"
8.hook - catch with a hook; "hook a fish"
seize - hook by a pull on the line; "strike a fish"
grab, take hold of, catch - take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of; "Catch the ball!"; "Grab the elevator door!"
9.hook - to cause (someone or oneself) to become dependent (on something, especially a narcotic drug)
accustom, habituate - make psychologically or physically used (to something); "She became habituated to the background music"
10.hook - secure with the foot; "hook the ball"
rugby, rugby football, rugger - a form of football played with an oval ball
play - shoot or hit in a particular manner; "She played a good backhand last night"
11.hook - entice and trap; "The car salesman had snared three potential customers"
accost, solicit, hook - approach with an offer of sexual favors; "he was solicited by a prostitute"; "The young man was caught soliciting in the park"
entice, lure, tempt - provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion; "He lured me into temptation"
12.hookhook - approach with an offer of sexual favors; "he was solicited by a prostitute"; "The young man was caught soliciting in the park"
snare, hook - entice and trap; "The car salesman had snared three potential customers"
offer - make available or accessible, provide or furnish; "The conference center offers a health spa"; "The hotel offers private meeting rooms"

hook
verb 3. catch, land, trap, entrap by hook or by crook by any means, somehow, somehow or other, someway, by fair means or foul hook, line, and sinker (Informal) completely, totally, entirely, thoroughly, wholly, utterly, through and through, lock, stock and barrel off the hook (Informal) let off, cleared, acquitted, vindicated, in the clear, exonerated, under no obligation, allowed to walk (slang), chiefly U.S.
Translations
Spanish hook [huk] ngancho;
(on dress) → corchete m; broche m;
(for fishing) → anzuelo
vtenganchar;
hooks and eyes → corchetes mpl; macho y hembra m;
by hook or by crook → por las buenas o por las malas, cueste lo que cueste;
to be hooked on (col) → estar enganchado a
hook up vt (RADIO, TV) → transmitir en cadena

French hook [huk] ncrochet m;
(on dress) → agrafe f;
(for fishing) → hameçon m
vtaccrocher [+ dress]; agrafer;
off the hook (Tel) → décroché;
hook and eye → agrafe;
by hook or by crook → de gré ou de force, coûte que coûte;
to be hooked (on) (inf) → être accroché(e) (par) [+ person]; être dingue (de)
hook up vt (Radio, TV etc) → faire un duplex entre

German hook [huk] nHaken m
vtfesthaken;
(fish) → an die Angel bekommen;
by hook or by crook → auf Biegen und Brechen;
to be hooked on (inf) (film, exhibition, etc) → fasziniert sein von;
(000) (drugs) → abhängig sein von;
(000) (person) → stehen auf +acc
hook up hook vt (Radio, TV etc) → anschließen

Italian hook [huk] ngancio;
(for fishing) → amo
vtuncinare [+ dress]; agganciare;
to be hooked on (col) → essere fanatico di;
hooks and eyes → gancetti;
by hook or by crook → in un modo o nell'altro
hook up vt (RADIO, TV etc) → allacciare, collegare

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And here we have old Hook pretending to produce his own fish when he couldn't produce his own fish knives or fish forks to eat it with.
Then he took the hook and softly, noiselessly, fixed it in the catch.
George got the line right after a while, and towed us steadily on to Penton Hook.
 
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