Word of the Day for Thursday, June 30, 2011
haw \HAW\, verb:
1. To utter a sound representing a hesitation or pause in speech.
2. To turn or make a turn to the left.
noun:
1. A sound or pause of hesitation.
2. The fruit of the Old World hawthorn, Crataegus laevigata, or of other species of the same genus.
interjection:
1. Used as a word of command to a horse or other draft animal, usually directing it to turn to the left.)
When left to his own amazing depths of oratory, and without the assistance of his omnipresent teleprompters, the B.O. wows us with his hems and haws and nonsensical verbal ejaculations!
--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog
I find that I cannot make poor Mr. Gresham hem and haw -- Anthony Trollope, Doctor Thorne: Volume 3
If you ask Frank Lockyear about his philosophy regarding trees, he will haw and dig about searching for the words.-- Robert Gray, "He plants trees everywhere," Scouting, 1985.
Haw has many senses, but the origin of this sense is uncertain, possibly imitative of the sound.
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