n. & v.
n. 1 a a piece of metal or other material bent back at an angle or with a round bend, for catching hold or for hanging things on. b (in full fish-hook) a bent piece of wire, usu. barbed and baited, for catching fish. 2 a curved cutting instrument (reaping-hook). 3 a a sharp bend, e.g. in a river. b a projecting point of land (Hook of Holland). c a sand-spit with a curved end. 4 a Cricket & Golf a hooking stroke (see sense 5 of v.). b Boxing a short swinging blow with the elbow bent and rigid. 5 a trap, a snare. 6 a a curved stroke in handwriting, esp. as made in learning to write. b Mus. an added stroke transverse to the stem in the symbol for a quaver etc. 7 (in pl.) sl. fingers.
v. 1 tr. a grasp with a hook. b secure with a hook or hooks. 2 (often foll. by on, up) a tr. attach with or as with a hook. b intr. be or become attached with a hook. 3 tr. catch with or as with a hook (he hooked a fish; she hooked a husband). 4 tr. sl. steal. 5 tr. a Cricket play (the ball) round from the off to the on side with an upward stroke. b (also absol.) Golf strike (the ball) so that it deviates towards the striker. 6 tr. Rugby Football secure (the ball) and pass it backward with the foot in the scrum. 7 tr. Boxing strike (one's opponent) with the elbow bent and rigid. be hooked on sl. be addicted to or captivated by. by hook or by crook by one means or another, by fair means or foul. hook and eye a small metal hook and loop as a fastener on a garment. hook it sl. make off, run away. hook, line, and sinker entirely. hook-nose an aquiline nose. hook-nosed having an aquiline nose. hook-up a connection, esp. an interconnection of broadcasting equipment for special transmissions. off the hook 1 colloq. no longer in difficulty or trouble. 2 (of a telephone receiver) not on its rest, and so preventing incoming calls. off the hooks sl. dead. on one's own hook sl. on one's own account. sling (or take) one's hook sl. = hook it. hookless adj. hooklet n. hooklike adj.
[ OE hoc: sense 3 of n. prob. influenced by Du. hoek corner ]