fishhook

See also: fish hook

English

Different types of fish hooks

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English fisch-hook, from Old English *fischōc (“fishhook”), equivalent to fish +‎ hook. Cognate with Dutch vishaak (“fishhook”). In the sense of a jack (playing card), refers to the shape of the letter J on the card.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfɪʃˌhʊk/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

fishhook (plural fishhooks)

  1. A barbed hook, usually metal, used for fishing.
    Synonyms: angle, fishing hook, hook
    • 1980, Dale R. Croes, Eric Blinman, editors, Hoko River: A 2500 Year Old Fishing Camp on the Northwest Coast of North America (Reports of Investigations (Washington State University. Laboratory of Anthropology); 58), Pullman, Wash.: Laboratory of Anthropology, Washington State University, →OCLC, page 141:
      The two basic types of fishhooks are almost equally represented within the site, with composite fishhooks exhibiting only a slightly higher relative frequency than that of bentwoods.
    • 2013 July 15, Jack Hitt, “DNA Backs Lore on Pre-Columbian Dogs”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 April 2025:
      Others sprint off and take position — their jackal ears fully erect, their fishhook tails twitching like flags in a stiff wind.
  2. (slang, card games) A jack (type of playing card).

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

fishhook (third-person singular simple present fishhooks, present participle fishhooking, simple past and past participle fishhooked)

  1. (transitive) To impale with a fishhook.
  2. (intransitive) To bend back on itself like a fishhook.

References

  • Weisenberg, Michael (2000), The Official Dictionary of Poker‎[2], MGI/Mike Caro University, →ISBN
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