hark back

verb

Save Word

harked back; harking back; harks back

Definition of hark back

intransitive verb

1 : to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Hark Back Got Its Start in Hunting Learn More About hark back

Hark Back Got Its Start in Hunting

Hark, a very old word meaning "to 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. The variants hearken and harken (also very old words meaning “to listen”) are also used, with and without back, as synonyms of hark back.