dawk

Ultimately from Old English dalc (“pin”). More at dalk.

• IPA^(key): /dɔːk/
• Rhymes: -ɔːk

dawk (third-person singular simple present dawks, present participle dawking, simple past and past participle dawked)

1. (transitive, UK dialectal) To drive a sharp instrument into; incise with a jerk; puncture.
2. (transitive) To cut or mark with an incision; gash.
3. (transitive, UK dialectal) To dig up weeds.

dawk (plural dawks)

1. A hollow or crack in timber.
   • 1677–1683, Joseph Moxon, “(please specify the page)”, in Mechanick Exercises, or The Doctrine of Handy-Works, […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Joseph Moxon, published 1678–1683, →OCLC:

     THE DAWK was a slight concavity or depression in the body of the cast type , made by a corresponding convexity in the mould

Blend of dove +‎ hawk. Coined by American author Donald S. Zagoria in 1967 (see quotation).

dawk (plural dawks)

1. (politics) A person who advocates neither an aggressive nor a conciliatory political attitude (especially in foreign policy).^[1]

   Coordinate terms: dove, hawk

   • 1967, Donald S. Zagoria, “Peking’s Hawks, Doves, and Dawks” (chapter 3), in Vietnam Triangle: Moscow, Peking, Hanoi, New York, N.Y.: Pegasus, →LCCN, page 67:

     In the analysis that follows, I shall explore the foreign policy views of three distinct factions within the Chinese elite: “hawks, doves, and dawks.” In my view, the “dawks,” “centrists,” or more precisely, Maoists, have won.

dawk (plural dawks)

1. Alternative form of dak (“Indian post system”).
   • 1903, Henry Yule & al., Hobson-Jobson..., s.v. "DAWK, To lay a":

     During the mutiny of 1857–58, when several young surgeons had arrived in India, whose services were urgently needed at the front, it is said that the Head of the Department to which they had reported themselves, directed them immediately to 'lay a dawk.' One of them turned back from the door, saying: 'Would you explain, Sir; for you might just as well tell me to lay an egg!'

dawk (plural dawks)

1. Archaic form of dhak (“the tree Butea monosperma”).

• dawka

• IPA^(key): /dawk/

dawk

1. plural of dak

dawk pl

1. (euphemistic) money

   Synonym: flus