English - English
Definition of chickenhawk in English English dictionary
- A political epithet. A draft-dodger, especially in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements
- A sexual predator- an older, usually more powerful man who preys on adolescent boys for sex
- A common name for one of three species of bird- the Cooper's hawk, the sharp-shinned hawk and the red-tailed hawk
- {i} any of the several hawks that prey on chickens; red-tailed hawk; (Slang) person who has never served in the army but favors aggressive or warlike political policy to carry through a foreign policy; (Vulgar Slang) older man who searches for boys or young men as his sexual partners
- A political epithet. A draft-dodger esp. in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements
- a common name for the red-tailed hawk
- A sexual predator. An older, usually more powerful man who preys on adolescent boys for sex. The logic of this idiom depends upon equating young males with chickens: As chickenhawks are thought to prey upon chickens (fowl) then, metaphorically, older gay men who "prey" on younger males, i.e. "chicken", are called "chickenhawks"