▪ I. hawking, vbl. n.1
(ˈhɔːkɪŋ)
[f. hawk v.1]
1. The sport or practice of chasing birds or small animals by means of trained hawks.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 1779. c 1375 Barbour Troybk. i. 279 Quhar-throw of halkinge ande of huntinge Haboundanly thar hade þe kynge. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iv. 120 Theyr fader was a hawkyng vppon the ryver. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xii. 35 Desyryng me to ryde with hym an hawkynge. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. Induct. ii. 45 Dost thou loue hawking? 1660 H. Adis Fannaticks Mite 7 He runs not to Hawkings nor Huntings. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 126 Hunting and hawking were common and favourite diversions of the Arabs. |
| fig. 1611 Dekker Roaring Girle Wks. 1873 III. 166 What dost thou go a hawking after me? |
2. attrib. and Comb. Relating to or used in hawking, as hawking-bag, hawking costume, hawking-gauntlet, hawking-glove, hawking language, hawking-pole, hawking-pouch, hawking spaniel.
| 1598 Florio, Falconiera, a faulkners bagge, a hauking pouch. 1622 Drayton Poly-olb. xx, The falconers take their hawking-poles in hand. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 185 His Tongue is not acquainted with the hawking Dialect. 1656 S. Holland Zara (1719) 52, I can seclude æolus and his Sons in a Hawking-bag. 1676 Lond. Gaz. No. 1124/4 A large well made Hawking-Spaniel. 1823 Scott Quentin D. ii, A hawking gauntlet on his left hand, though he carried no bird. 1841 Elphinstone Hist. Ind. II. 255 Behrám took advantage of Akber's absence on a hawking party. 1888 M. E. Braddon Fatal Three i. i, The Chelsea lady was in hawking costume. |
▪ II. hawking, ppl. a.1
[f. hawk v.1 + -ing2.]
That hawks; addicted to the sport of hawking. In Shakes. 1601, ‘hawk-like, keen’ (Schmidt).
| 1601 Shakes. All's Well i. i. 105 His arched browes, his hawking eie. 1601 Cornwallyes Ess. xxii, Me thinkes a drunken Cobler, and a meere hawking Gentleman ranks equally. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 770 His sarcastic remarks on the hunting, hawking boors. |
▪ III. hawking
see also hawk v.2 and v.3