hooker

¹

[ hook-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that hooks. hook.
2. Slang. prostitute.
3. Slang. a large drink of liquor.
4. Slang. a concealed problem, flaw, or drawback; a catch.
5. Rugby. a player who hooks the ball in the front line of scrummage.
6. (initial capital letter) Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an Amish Mennonite.

hooker

²

[ hook-er ]

noun

, Nautical.

1. Slang. any old-fashioned or clumsy vessel.
2. any fishing vessel working with hooks and lines rather than nets.

Hooker

³

[ hook-er ]

noun

1. Joseph, 1814–79, Union general in the U.S. Civil War.
2. Richard, 1554?–1600, English author and clergyman.
3. Thomas, 1586?–1647, English Puritan clergyman: one of the founders of the colony of Connecticut.

hooker

¹

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that hooks
2. slang.
   1. a draught of alcoholic drink, esp of spirits
   2. a prostitute
3. rugby the central forward in the front row of a scrum whose main job is to hook the ball

Hooker

²

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. HookerJohn Lee19172001MUSMUSIC: blues singerMUSIC: guitarist John Lee. 1917–2001, US blues singer and guitarist
2. HookerSir Joseph Dalton18171911MBritishSCIENCE: botanist Sir Joseph Dalton. 1817–1911, British botanist; director of Kew Gardens (1865–85)
3. HookerRichard15541600MBritishRELIGION: theologian Richard. 1554–1600, British theologian, who influenced Anglican theology with The Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity (1593–97)
4. HookerSir William Jackson17851865MBritishSCIENCE: botanist Sir William Jackson. 1785–1865, British botanist; first director of Kew Gardens: father of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

hooker

³

/ ˈhʊkə /

noun

1. a commercial fishing boat using hooks and lines instead of nets
2. a sailing boat of the west of Ireland formerly used for cargo and now for pleasure sailing and racing

Sensitive Note

The Mennonites were irreverently spoken of as Hookers , because they used hooks and eyes on their clothes instead of buttons.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hooker¹

First recorded in 1560–70; in 1835–45 hooker ¹fordef 2, an Americanism; hook ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of hooker²

First recorded in 1635–45; from Dutch hoeker, equivalent to hoek hook ¹ + -er -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of hooker¹

C17: from Dutch hoeker

Example Sentences

Rather than taking offense, the ladies of the Hurst Hookers embraced the jibe.

From Seattle Times

Hookers who service Overweight men learn how to Roll with the paunches.

From Washington Post

After driving the Hookers from their home, white marauders stripped it of valuables, destroying what they could not carry away.

From New York Times

Hookers, a mule and a suicidal friend show up at the hotel bash for a school-bus driver getting married.

From Los Angeles Times

“Hookers used to give me their cards. For a while there was this guy who was dropping cinder blocks off the tops of buildings,” he said with a laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• prostitute