Haw
Haw (ha) , noun
[Old English hawe, Anglo-Saxon haga; akin to Dutch haag headge, German hag, hecke, Icelandic hagi pasture, Swedish hage, Danish have garden. r12. Compare Haggard, Ha-ha, Haugh, Hedge.]
1.
A hedge; an inclosed garden or yard.
And eke there was a polecat in his haw.
2.
The fruit of the hawthorn. — Bacon
Haw , noun
[Etymol. uncertain.]
(Anatomy) The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane. See Nictitating membrane, under Nictitate.
Haw , noun
[Compare 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.
Haw , intransitive verb
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.
Collocations (1)
hemming and hawing , speaking hesitantly and inarticulately, with numerous pauses and interjections.
Haw (had) , intransitive verb
[Written also hoi.]
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.
Collocations (1)
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. [Colloquial]
Haw , transitive verb
To cause to turn, as a team, to the near side, or toward the driver; as, to haw a team of oxen.
Collocations (1)
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. [Colloquial]