haw

¹

[ haw ]

verb (used without object)

1. to utter a sound representing a hesitation or pause in speech.

noun

1. a sound or pause of hesitation. Compare hem ²( def 3 ).

haw

²

[ haw ]

interjection

1. (used as a word of command to a horse or other draft animal, usually directing it to turn to the left.)

verb (used with or without object)

1. to turn or make a turn to the left:

   The horse refused to haw.

haw

³

[ haw ]

noun

1. the fruit of the Old World hawthorn, Crataegus laevigata, or of other species of the same genus.
2. the hawthorn.

haw

⁴

[ haw ]

noun

1. the thin, protective membrane at the inner corner of the lower eyelid of a horse, dog, etc.; nictitating membrane.

Haw.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. Hawaii.

haw

¹

/ hɔː /

noun

1. an inarticulate utterance, as of hesitation, embarrassment, etc; hem

verb

1. intr to make this sound
2. hem and haw or hum and haw
   See hem 2

haw

²

/ hɔː /

noun

1. archaic.
   a yard or close

haw

³

/ hɔː /

noun

1. the nictitating membrane of a horse or other domestic animal

haw

⁴

/ hɔː /

noun

1. the round or oval fruit (a pome) of the hawthorn, usually red or yellow, containing one to five seeds
2. another name for hawthorn

Word History and Origins

Origin of haw¹

First recorded in 1625–35; imitative

Origin of haw²

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; apparently originally the imperative haw! “look!” of Middle English hawen, Old English hāwian “to look, regard”; akin to Latin cavēre “to take precautions, beware”

Origin of haw³

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English haga, presumably identical with haga “hedge, fence”; hawthorn

Origin of haw⁴

First recorded in 1515–1525; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of haw¹

C17: of imitative origin

Origin of haw²

of unknown origin

Origin of haw³

C15: of unknown origin

Origin of haw⁴

Old English haga, identical with haga hedge ; related to Old Norse hagi pasture

Idioms and Phrases

see hem and haw .

Example Sentences

The goal was to just put a period on that phase of their life and just say, “Enough of the hemming and hawing. We’re walking forward either way.”

From Los Angeles Times

And they're hemming and hawing and saying, what if they use it as .

From Salon

In a statement, Archbishop Paul Etienne did some hemming to go along with some hawing:

From Seattle Times

Burien hemmed and hawed over whether to accept the money, but it eventually said “yes” after King County gave it a deadline to select a property for the project.

From Seattle Times

Nonetheless, Ms. Wiles’s presentation to the group of largely Trump-resistant donors reflects that many of them are finally, after much hemming and hawing, entering the acceptance stage of the grief cycle.

From New York Times

Related Words

• bean
• grain
• kernel