chickenhawk
chickenhawk Lexical Profile
chickenhawk Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A person, especially a politician or commentator, who strongly advocates war or aggressive military action while having avoided military service themselves.
"Critics labeled the senator a chickenhawk for demanding an immediate invasion despite having sought multiple draft deferments in his youth."
North American An informal folk name for several North American birds of prey of the family Accipitridae—specifically the Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, and red-tailed hawk—historically perceived as preying on domestic poultry.
"The farmer kept a watchful eye on the sky after spotting a chickenhawk circling above the barnyard."
Word Nuance & Usage
In political discourse, "chickenhawk" is a derogatory compound combining "chicken" (coward) and "hawk" (war advocate); in older slang, it can also be a highly offensive term for an older man who pursues young boys, so care should be taken with context.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.