Mohawk

American  

[moh-hawk] / ˈmoʊ hɔk /

noun

plural

Mohawks,

plural

Mohawk

1. a member of a tribe of the most easterly of the Iroquois Five Nations, formerly resident along the Mohawk River, New York.

2. the Iroquoian language of the Mohawk Indians.

3. a river flowing E from central New York to the Hudson. 148 miles (240 km) long.

4. Also called Mohawk haircut.  (often lowercase) a hairstyle in which the head is shaved bare except for a strip of hair, usually with blunt, brushlike ends, down the center of the scalp from the forehead to the nape of the neck.

5. Military. a twin turboprop, two-seat U.S. Army aircraft fitted with cameras, radar, and infrared sensors and designed to monitor enemy operations.

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Mohawk ¹ British  

/ ˈməʊhɔːk /

noun

1. a member of a North American Indian people formerly living along the Mohawk River; one of the Iroquois peoples

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family

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mohawk ² British  

/ ˈməʊhɔːk /

noun

1. skating a half turn from either edge of either skate to the corresponding edge of the other skate

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): mohican.  a punk hairstyle in which the head is shaved at the sides and the remaining strip of hair is worn stiffly erect and sometimes brightly coloured

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Mohawk ³ British  

/ ˈməʊhɔːk /

noun

1. a river in E central New York State, flowing south and east to the Hudson River at Cohoes: the largest tributary of the Hudson. Length: 238 km (148 miles)

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Etymology

Origin of mohawk

C19: after _Mohawk ¹

Explanation

A mohawk is a hairstyle created by shaving the hair on each side of the head, leaving a wide strip of longer hair down the middle. While mohawks are commonly associated with punk music fans in the 1980s, David Beckham and Mr. T have also sported this hair style. The mohawk has been around for centuries, worn by groups as varied as 600 BCE Scythian warriors and World War II American paratroopers. It's perhaps most famous for its popularity among fans of punk and hardcore music starting in the 1980s. While it's named for the Mohawk tribe of Native Americans, it more closely resembles the way the Pawnees traditionally styled their hair than the way the Mohawks did, with a square patch at the back of the head).

Example Sentences

The smallest members of the S&P 500 index now include Mohawk Industries, LKQ and Molina Healthcare.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

Kiba, her 3.5-pound papillon with a purple Mohawk, pulled 556 pounds on rails.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

But according to Mr Mohawk, who still works at Boeing, the drive to build planes as quickly as possible in order to maximise revenues remains.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2024

Recently, Alexis joined castmate Devery Jacobs, who was raised in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory and played rez dog Elora Danan, to excavate some “Reservation Dogs” memories — including the fluctuating extremes of Oklahoma weather.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2024

In 1775 the Mohawk Nation allied with the British against the separatist settlers.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

• braid
• dreadlocks
• haircut
• hairdo
• headdress
• ponytail