dawk
English
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
dawk¹
- /dɔːk/
Rhymes with -ɔːk
Where it comes from
Ultimately from Old English dalc (“pin”). More at dalk.
verb dawks · dawking · dawked
- To drive a sharp instrument into; incise with a jerk; puncture.
- To cut or mark with an incision; gash.
- To dig up weeds.
noun dawks
- A hollow or crack in timber. THE DAWK was a slight concavity or depression in the body of the cast type , made by a corresponding convexity in the mould
dawk²
Where it comes from
Blend of dove + hawk. Coined by American author Donald S. Zagoria in 1967 (see quotation).
noun dawks
- A person who advocates neither an aggressive nor a conciliatory political attitude (especially in foreign policy). In the analysis that follows, I shall explore the foreign policy views of three distinct factions within the Chinese elite: “hawks, doves, and dawks.” In my view, the “dawks,” “centrists,” or more precisely, Maoists, have won.
dawk³
noun dawks
- Alternative form of dak (“Indian post system”). During the mutiny of 1857–58, when several young surgeons had arrived in India, whose services were urgently needed at the front, it is said that the Head of the Department to which they had reported themselves, directed them immediately to 'lay a dawk.' One of them turned back from the door, saying
dawk⁴
noun dawks
- Archaic form of dhak (“flame of the forest tree (Butea monosperma)”).
Talk about this word "dawk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dawk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. dawk. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dawk "dawk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dawk.Cite this
@misc{dawk_2026,
title = {dawk},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dawk},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
