war hawk
English edit
Etymology edit
Late 18th c., often attributed to Virginian Congressman John Randolph of Roanoke, but no written evidence exists.[1] Popularized in debates concerning the War of 1812. Sense "eagle" probably a calque of Old English guþhafoc
Noun edit
- (figurative) A proponent of war or military intrusiveness.
- (literary, dated) An eagle.
References edit
- ^ Ralph E. Eshelman, Scott S. Sheads (2013) “Origin of “War Hawks””, in Chesapeake Legends and Lore from the War of 1812, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN: “While Randolph is credited with having coined the phrase, there were several instances of the usage of the term in prewar newspaper articles, none attributed to Rudolph.”
