chickenhawk
/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/noun
chickenhawk is spelled C-H-I-C-K-E-N-H-A-W-K: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 180,281st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, chickenhawk means “Any of the North American hawk species (Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk and red-tailed hawk), or counterparts elsewhere, mistakenly believed to be…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of chickenhawk is chickenhawks.
How many letters and syllables are in chickenhawk?
| Letters | 11: C-H-I-C-K-E-N-H-A-W-K |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 35 million words; the 180,281st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is chickenhawk?
Chickenhawk appears about once in every 35 million words in written English, the 180,281st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce chickenhawk?
- /ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-chickenhawk.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of chickenhawk
- chickenhawks plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chickenhawk mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any of the North American hawk species (Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk and red-tailed hawk), or counterparts elsewhere, mistakenly believed to be pests.
- 2
USderogatoryA draft dodger, especially in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements.
- 3
derogatoryslangAn older, usually more powerful man who preys on adolescent boys for sex.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chickenhawk in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | épervier brun |
| German | Eckschwanzsperber |
| Spanish | gavilán, azor , rabo verde |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does chickenhawk come from?
From chicken + hawk. The political sense is derived from figurative meanings of “coward” and “militant” respectively.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).