hawker

1 of 2

noun (1)

hawk·​er ˈhȯ-kər 

: falconer

hawker

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one who hawks wares

The sidewalks are filled with hawkers selling vegetables and trinkets and women in blankets roasting cobs of corn on makeshift fires.

—Richard Stengal

Synonyms of hawker

Noun (2)

• vendor
• seller
• peddler
• merchant
• huckster

Examples of hawker in a Sentence

Noun (2)

street corner hawkers selling everything from fake designer purses to original works of art

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The peanut hawkers at sports venues over a century ago wouldn’t recognize the diversity of food—or seating types—in today’s modern stadium. — Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

When Dean Fuleihan was first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio, Fuleihan spearheaded a very effective multi-agency enforcement plan that put the hawkers out of business. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026

For diners willing to wait in line at a hawker center in Singapore or a taco counter in Mexico City, the payoff is a meal that sits inside one of the most exclusive guides in food — at street food prices. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2026

Singapore’s hawker centers dominate, but the geographic spread is what makes the list so useful. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 5 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English haueker, hawker, going back to Old English hafocere, from hafoc hawk entry 1 + -ere -er entry 2

Noun (2)

by folk etymology from Low German höker, from Middle Low German hōker, from hōken to squat, peddle — more at hunker

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1512, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hawker

• blocker
• chalker
• cocker
• docker
• hocker
• knocker
• locker
• mocker
• ocher
• rocker
• shocker
• soccer

Kids Definition

hawker

1 of 2 noun

hawk·​er ˈhȯ-kər 

: falconer

hawker

2 of 2 noun

: a person who hawks wares

Etymology

Noun

Low German höker, from höken "to peddle"