Haw

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɔː

Imitative

Full definition of haw

Interjection

1. An imitation of laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often doubled or tripled (haw haw or haw haw haw).You think that song was good? Haw!
2. An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like "haw"; the sound so made.
• CongreveHums or haws.

Usage notes

(an imitation of laughter) In the US, the spelling haw is rare, with ha being more common.

Verb

1. To stop, in speaking, with a sound like haw; to speak with interruption and hesitation.

Derived terms

• hum and haw, hem and haw

Middle English hawe, from Old English haga ("enclosure, hedge"), from Proto-Germanic *hagô (compare West Frisian haach, Dutch haag, German Hag ("hedged farmland"), from Proto-Indo-European *kaghon (compare Welsh cae ("hedge"), Latin caulae ("sheepfold, enclosure"), cohum ("strap between plowbeam and yoke"), Russian кош (koš, "tent"), кошара (košára, "sheepfold"), Sanskrit कक्ष (kakṣa, "curtain wall"), from *kaghe/o 'to catch, grasp' (compare Welsh cau ("to clasp"), Oscan kahad ("may he seize"), Albanian kam, ke ("to have, hold")).

Noun

1. Fruit of the hawthorn.
2. (historical) A hedge.

Unknown

Interjection

1. An instruction for a horse or other animal to turn towards the driver, typically left.

Verb

1. (of an animal) To turn towards the driver, typically to the left.This horse won't haw when I tell him to.
2. To cause (an animal) to turn left.You may have to go to the front of the pack and physically haw the lead dog.

Derived terms

• gee haw whimmy diddle
• haw and gee, haw and gee about

Antonyms

• (to turn left) gee
• (to cause to turn left) gee

Uncertain.

Noun

1. (anatomy) The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane.

Anagrams

• wah
• wha