Word of the Day

: January 1, 2013

hark back

verb HAHRK-BAK

What It Means

1 : to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance

2 : to go back to something as an origin or source

hark back in Context

The restaurant's art deco interior harks back to Paris in the 1920s.

"The design features the city's iconic Spanish-style entryway, a large mission bell and two oxen pulling a bountiful cart of grapes, harking back to the days when the mission was known to produce wine." - From an article by Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2012

Did You Know?

"Hark," a very old word meaning "listen," was used as a cry in hunting. The master of the hunt might cry "Hark! Forward!" or "Hark! Back!" The cries became set phrases, both as nouns and verbs. Thus, a "hark back" was a retracing of a route by dogs and hunters, and "to hark back" was to turn back along the path. From its use in hunting, the verb soon acquired its current figurative meanings. In the early 20th century, English speakers began using "hearken back" and its variant "harken back" synonymously with the verb "hark back." (Like "hark," "hearken" and "harken" can mean "listen.") And since the 1980s, there's been another development: "harken" can now be used alone to mean "hark back."