haw
/hɔ:/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- The nictitating membrane of a horse: A transparent third eyelid in some animals, especially horses.
- A spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus: A type of thorny shrub or tree, also known as a hawthorn, which produces small, red fruit called haws.
Verb:
- To utter the sound 'haw': To make a hesitant or inarticulate sound, often as part of a pause in speech indicating indecision.
- To hesitate in speaking: To speak with pauses or filler sounds like 'haw' due to uncertainty.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Animal Anatomy):
- Noun (Plant):
- Verb (Speech):
Advanced Usage
- "To hem and haw": This is a fixed idiom meaning to hesitate, delay, or speak evasively, often by making sounds like 'hem' and 'haw'.
Variants and Related Words
- Hawthorn (n): The full name for the shrub or tree.
- Haw (n): Can also refer specifically to the fruit of the hawthorn.
Synonyms
- Hesitate (v): To pause before saying or doing something.
- Falter (v): To speak hesitatingly.
- Hawthorn (n): For the plant sense.
Related Phrases
- Hem and haw (idiom): To be hesitant and indecisive in speech.
Noun
- the nictitating membrane of a horse
- a spring-flowering shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus
Verb
- utter `haw'
- he hemmed and hawed