chicken hawk

noun

plural chicken hawks
1
: a hawk that preys or is believed to prey on chickens
2
disparaging : a person who strongly supports or promotes a war or warlike policies but who has never served in the military
His strong ties to the military and his reluctance to use force … made him an ideal man for the job, and his battle wounds from Vietnam gave him the moral authority to answer the chicken hawks who opposed the contraction of the military.Dana Milbank
3
slang : a man who pursues boys or young men for sexual purposes compare chicken entry 1 sense 5

Examples of chicken hawk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mary Bly is the daughter of Minnesota poet Robert Bly, who was with Wright that afternoon at Bill Duffy's farm when Wright lazed in the hammock, watching the chicken hawk and the bronze butterfly, listening to the clanging of the cowbells. Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune, 2 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chicken hawk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chicken hawk was circa 1775

Dictionary Entries Near chicken hawk

Cite this Entry

“Chicken hawk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chicken%20hawk. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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