haw

Definitions

1. 1.The fruit of the hawthorn. Bacon.
2. 2.The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane. See Nictitating membrane, under Nictitate.
3. 3.An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like haw! also, the sound so made. "Hums or haws." Congreve.
4. 4.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.
5. 5.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.]
6. 6.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.]

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Related questions

• What does "haw" mean?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is haw.

• What is the third eyelid, or nictitating membrane. See Nictitating membrane, under Nictitate called?
• What is an intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like haw! also, the sound so made. "Hums or haws." Congreve called?
• What is 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 called?