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Webster 1913 Edition


Haw

Haw

(ha̤)
,
Noun.
[OE.
hawe
, AS.
haga
; akin to D.
haag
headge, G.
hag
,
hecke
, Icel.
hagi
pasture, Sw.
hage
, Dan.
have
garden. √12. Cf.
Haggard
,
Ha-ha
,
Haugh
,
Hedge
.]
1.
A hedge; an inclosed garden or yard.
And eke there was a polecat in his
haw
.
Chaucer.
2.
The fruit of the hawthorn.
Bacon.

Haw

,
Noun.
[Etymol. uncertain.]
(Anat.)
The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane. See
Nictitating membrane
, under
Nictitate
.

Haw

,
Noun.
[Cf.
ha
an interjection of wonder, surprise, or hesitation.]
An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like haw! also, the sound so made.
“Hums or haws.”
Congreve.

Haw

,
Verb.
I.
To stop, in speaking, with a sound like haw; to speak with interruption and hesitation.
Cut it short; don’t prose – don't hum and
haw
.
Chesterfield.

Haw

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Hawed
(ha̤d)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Hawing
.]
[Written also
hoi
.]
[Perhaps connected with
here
,
hither
; cf., however, F.
huhau
,
hurhau
,
hue
, interj. used in turning a horse to the right, G.
hott
,
hü
, interj. used in calling to a horse.]
To turn to the near side, or toward the driver; – said of cattle or a team: a word used by teamsters in guiding their teams, and most frequently in the imperative. See
Gee
.
To haw and gee
, or
To haw and gee about
,
to go from one thing to another without good reason; to have no settled purpose; to be irresolute or unstable.
[Colloq.]

Haw

,
Verb.
T.
To cause to turn, as a team, to the near side, or toward the driver;
as, to
haw
a team of oxen
.
To haw and gee
, or
To haw and gee about
,
to lead this way and that at will; to lead by the nose; to master or control.
[Colloq.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Haw

HAW

, n.
1.
The berry and seed of the hawthorn, that is, hedge-thorn.
2.
A small piece of ground adjoining a house; a small field; properly, an inclosed piece of land, from hedge, like garden, which also signifies an inclosure.
3.
In farriery, an excrescence resembling a gristle, growing under the nether eyelid and eye of a horse.
4.
A dale.

HAW

,
Verb.
I.
[corrupted from hawk, or hack.] To stop in speaking with a haw, or to speak with interruption and hesitation; as, to hem and haw.