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hook noun [ hʊk ]

• a piece of metal or other hard material curved or bent back at an angle, for catching hold of or hanging things on.
• "a picture hook"
Similar: peg, holder, fastener, fastening, catch, clasp, hasp, clip, pin, buckle, hook and eye, fibula,
• a thing designed to catch people's attention.
• "companies are looking for a sales hook"
• a curved cutting instrument, especially as used for reaping or shearing.
Similar: billhook, scythe, sickle,
• a short swinging punch made with the elbow bent and rigid, especially in boxing.
• "a perfectly timed right hook to the chin"
Similar: punch, blow, hit, box, cuff, thump, smack, crack, knock, thwack, skelp, belt, bop, biff, sock, clout, whack, wallop, plug, slug, whop, slosh, dot, boff, dong,
• a curved stroke in handwriting.
• a curved promontory or sand spit.

hook verb

• attach or fasten with a hook or hooks.
• "the truck had a red lamp hooked to its tailgate"
Similar: attach, fix, hitch, fasten, secure, clasp, hasp, grapple,
Opposite: unhitch,
• catch with a hook.
• "he hooked a 24 lb pike"
Similar: catch, take, land, net, bag, snare, ensnare, trap, entrap,
Opposite: release,
• attract and hold the attention of; captivate.
• "I was hooked by John's radical zeal"
• hit (the ball) round to the on side with a horizontal or slightly upward swing of the bat at shoulder height; hit a ball delivered by (the bowler) with such a stroke.
• secure (the ball) and pass it backwards with the foot in the scrum.
Origin: Old English hōc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hoek ‘corner, angle, projecting piece of land’, also to German Haken ‘hook’.

by hook or by crook

• by any possible means.
"the government intends, by hook or by crook, to hold on to the land"

get one's hooks into

• get hold of.
"they were going to move out rather than let Mel get his hooks into them"

get the hook

• be dismissed from a job.
"he got the hook, reportedly due to differences with his co-star"

give someone the hook

• dismiss someone from a job.
"I hope they give him the hook"

hook it

• run away.
"kindly hook it—I just want you to scram"

hook, line, and sinker

• used to emphasize that someone has been completely deceived or tricked.
"he fell hook, line, and sinker for this year's April Fool joke"

off the hook

• no longer in difficulty or trouble.
"I lied to get him off the hook"

on the hook for

• (in a financial context) responsible for.
"he's on the hook for about $9.5 million"

on one's own hook

• by oneself.
"I'm thinking of starting a class on my own hook"

sling one's hook

• leave; go away.

hook up

• link someone or something to an object, especially electronic equipment.
"I'm having trouble hooking up to my wireless printer"



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