hook

/hʊk/

/hʊk/

Other forms: hooked; hooks; hooking

A hook is a curved piece of metal or other hard material that's used or pulling or holding something. A tow truck is equipped with a large hook to pull cars, and the fictional Captain Hook came equipped with an iron hook to pull off dastardly deeds.

There are coat hooks in a classroom, picture hooks on the your walls, and fishhooks for catching trout in a lake. You might have a hook and eye lock on your bedroom door, or enjoy crocheting scarves with yarn and a crochet hook. To catch a fish or a loop of yarn is to hook it. In boxing, a curving, bent-elbow punch is a hook. and in basketball a hook shot is a high, one-handed, sweeping play.

Definitions of hook

1. noun

   a mechanical device that is curved or bent to suspend or hold or pull something
   synonyms: claw

   types:

   anchor, ground tackle

   a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

   pothook

   an S-shaped hook to suspend a pot over a fire

   tenterhook

   one of a series of hooks used to hold cloth on a tenter

   grapnel, grapnel anchor

   a light anchor for small boats

   mooring anchor

   an anchor used to hold a mooring buoy or a channel marker in place

   mushroom anchor

   an anchor used for semipermanent moorings; has a bowl-shaped head that will dig in however it falls

   sheet anchor, waist anchor

   spare anchor for use in emergency

   trammel

   an adjustable pothook set in a fireplace

   type of:

   mechanical device

   mechanism consisting of a device that works on mechanical principles
2. noun

   a curved or bent implement for suspending or pulling something
   types:

   boat hook

   pole-handled hook used to pull or push boats

   buttonhook

   a hook for pulling a button through a buttonhole

   crotchet

   a small tool or hooklike implement

   cup hook

   hook (usually on the underside of a shelf) for hanging cups

   fishhook

   a sharp barbed hook for catching fish

   gaff

   an iron hook with a handle; used for landing large fish

   gig

   a cluster of hooks (without barbs) that is drawn through a school of fish to hook their bodies; used when fish are not biting

   meat hook

   a strong pointed hook from which the carcasses of animals are hung

   skyhook

   a hook that is imagined to be suspended from the sky

   type of:

   implement

   instrumentation (a piece of equipment or tool) used to effect an end
3. noun

   a sharp curve or crook; a shape resembling a hook
   synonyms: crotchet

   types:

   uncus

   (biology) any hook-shaped process or part

   type of:

   curve, curved shape

   the trace of a point whose direction of motion changes
4. noun

   a catch for locking a door
   type of:

   catch

   a fastener that fastens or locks a door or window
5. verb

   fasten with a hook
   antonyms:

   unhook

   take off a hook

   type of:

   fasten, fix, secure

   cause to be firmly attached
6. verb

   catch with a hook
   “hook a fish”

   types:

   seize

   hook by a pull on the line

   type of:

   catch, grab, take hold of

   take hold of so as to seize or restrain or stop the motion of
7. verb

   make a piece of needlework by interlocking and looping thread with a hooked needle
   synonyms: crochet

   crochet

   create by looping or crocheting

   type of:

   intertwine, loop

   make a loop in
8. noun

   anything that serves as an enticement
   synonyms: bait, come-on, lure, sweetener

   type of:

   enticement, temptation

   something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
9. noun

   a literary device in the introduction of a written work that grabs a reader’s attention
10. verb

    entice and trap
    synonyms: snare

    solicit

    approach with an offer of sexual favors

    type of:

    entice, lure, tempt

    provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion
11. verb

    approach with an offer of sexual favors
    synonyms: solicit

    snare

    entice and trap

    type of:

    offer

    make available or accessible, provide or furnish
12. verb

    cause (someone or oneself) to become dependent (on something, especially a narcotic drug)
    synonyms: addict

    type of:

    accustom, habituate

    make psychologically or physically used (to something)
13. noun

    a golf shot that curves to the left for a right-handed golfer
    synonyms: draw, hooking

    type of:

    golf shot, golf stroke, swing

    the act of swinging a golf club at a golf ball and (usually) hitting it
14. noun

    a short swinging punch delivered from the side with the elbow bent
    types:

    roundhouse

    a hook delivered with an exaggerated swing

    type of:

    biff, clout, lick, poke, punch, slug

    (boxing) a blow with the fist
15. noun

    a basketball shot made over the head with the hand that is farther from the basket
    synonyms: hook shot

    type of:

    basketball shot

    throwing the basketball toward the hoop
16. verb

    hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels to the left
    type of:

    hit

    cause to move by striking
17. verb

    hit with a hook
    “His opponent hooked him badly”

    type of:

    hit

    deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument
18. verb

    secure with the foot
    “hook the ball”

    type of:

    play

    shoot or hit in a particular manner
19. verb

    make off with belongings of others
    synonyms: abstract, cabbage, filch, lift, nobble, pilfer, pinch, purloin, snarf, sneak, swipe

    type of:

    steal

    take without the owner's consent
20. verb

    take by theft
    synonyms: cop, glom, knock off, snitch, thieve

    type of:

    steal

    take without the owner's consent
21. verb

    rip off; ask an unreasonable price
    synonyms: fleece, gazump, overcharge, pluck, plume, rob, soak, surcharge

    types:

    extort, gouge, rack, squeeze, wring

    obtain by coercion or intimidation

    bleed

    get or extort (money or other possessions) from someone

    type of:

    cheat, chisel, rip off

    deprive somebody of something by deceit