Emily Dickinson Lexicon

HAWK, n. [Sax. hafoc; D. havik; G. habicht; Sw. hök; Dan. hög, höög; W. hebog, named from heb, utterance.]

A genus of fowls, the Falco, of many species, having a crooked beak, furnished with a cere at the base, a cloven tongue, and the head thick set with feathers. Most of the species are rapacious, feeding on birds or other small animals. Hawks were formerly trained for sport or catching small birds.