chickenhawk

C3H4I1C3K5E1N1H4A1W4K5
/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔːk/

noun

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.

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Meanings

nounchickenhawk (plural chickenhawks)

plural chickenhawks

  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. USderogatorygovernmentA draft dodger, especially in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements.
  3. derogatoryslangLGBTAn older, usually more powerful man who preys on adolescent boys for sex.
    1 more example

    For every instance of Saul's good-humoredly putting one over on the criminal justice system […] to free his younger lover from his latest legal trouble, Rogers recounts callous treatment at the hands of the older man. In addition, Sinbad suffers brutal depredations from the city's other chicken hawks.

    1985 August 24, Mark McHarry, “Adult/Youth Sex as Fiction, Fact, and Fate”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 7, page 8

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
cooper's hawkred-tailed hawksharp-shinned hawk

Origin

From chicken + hawk. The political sense is derived from figurative meanings of “coward” and “militant” respectively.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch kiekendief, knapenschenner
  • kiekendiefhawk species
  • knapenschenneradult man who seeks out boys as his sexual partners
  • pedofieladult man who seeks out boys as his sexual partners
French épervier brun
  • épervier brunhawk species
German Eckschwanzsperber
  • Eckschwanzsperberhawk species
Japanese 若専
  • 若専 (wakasen)adult man who seeks out boys as his sexual partners
Spanish gavilán, azor
  • gavilánhawk species
  • azorhawk species
  • rabo verdeadult man who seeks out boys as his sexual partners
Cite this entry
APA

chickenhawk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chickenhawk

MLA

“chickenhawk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chickenhawk. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chickenhawk,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chickenhawk.

Source: chickenhawk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.