hook

noun

• 1a piece of metal or other hard material curved or bent back at an angle, for catching hold of or hanging things on:a picture hook
• (also fish hook) a bent piece of metal, typically barbed and baited, for catching fish.

• 2a thing designed to catch people’s attention:companies are looking for a sales hook
• a catchy chorus or repeated instrumental passage in a piece of popular music: strong, funky vocals with a hook that gets into your head

• 3a curved cutting instrument, especially as used for reaping or shearing.

• 4a short swinging punch made with the elbow bent and rigid, especially in boxing:a perfectly timed right hook to the chin
• Cricket a stroke made to the on side with a horizontal or slightly upward swing of the bat at shoulder height.
• Golf a stroke which makes the ball deviate in flight in the direction of the follow-through (from right to left for a right-handed player), typically inadvertently.

• 5a curved stroke in handwriting.
• Music an added stroke transverse to the stem in the symbol for a quaver or other note.

• 6 [usually in place names] a curved promontory or sand spit.

verb

• 1 [with object and adverbial] attach or fasten with a hook or hooks:the truck had a red lamp hooked to its tailgate she tried to hook up her bra [no object]:a ladder that hooks over the roof ridge
• bend into the shape of a hook so as to fasten around or to an object: [with object]:he hooked his thumbs in his belt she hooked a thread around her crochet hook [no object]:her legs hooked around mine
• [with object] Rugby secure (the ball) and pass it backwards with the foot in the scrum.

• 2 [with object] catch with a hook:he hooked a 24 lb pike
• informal attract and hold the attention of; captivate:I was hooked by John’s radical zeal
• archaic, informal steal: a maid hooked one of her mistress’s dresses

• 3 [with object] Cricket hit (the ball) round to the on side with a horizontal or slightly upward swing of the bat at shoulder height; hit a ball delivered by (the bowler) with such a stroke.
• Golf strike (the ball) so that it deviates in the direction of the follow-through, typically inadvertently.
• [no object] Boxing punch one’s opponent with the elbow bent and rigid: McKenzie switched his attack downstairs, hooking to the ribs

• 4 (often in imperative hook it) British informal, dated run away: kindly hook it—I just want you to scram

• 5 [no object] (usually as noun hooking) informal (of a woman) work as a prostitute.