noun | verb
hookhook1 /hʊk/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 1
FOR HANGING THINGS a curved piece of metal or plastic that you use for hanging things on: The helmet hung from a hook by the door. a coat hook2FISH a curved piece of thin metal with a sharp point for catching fish: a fish hook3let/get somebody off the hook to allow someone or help someone to get out of a difficult situation: I didn’t want to let her off the hook – she lied to us.4leave/take the phone off the hook to leave or take the telephone receiver (=the part you speak into) off the part where it is usually placed so that no one can call you5be ringing off the hook if your telephone is ringing off the hook, a lot of people are calling you6hook, line, and sinker if someone believes something hook, line, and sinker, he or she believes a lie completely: I made up a story, and he believed it hook, line, and sinker.7something TO GET ATTENTION something that is attractive and gets people’s attention and interest: You have to find a hook to sell a new show.8WAY OF HITTING somebody a way of hitting your opponent with your elbow bent in boxing: a left hook9TUNE a part of the tune in a song that makes it very easy to remember10BALL a way of hitting or throwing a ball so that it moves in a curve, or an occasion when a ball is hit or thrown in this way11by hook or by crook if you are going to do something by hook or by crook, you are determined to do it in whatever way works SYN somehow or other: The police are going to get these guys, by hook or by crook.12get your hooks into somebody to succeed in taking control of someone, especially by deceiving him or her[Origin: Old English hoc] noun | verb
hookhook2 ●●○ verb 1FASTEN [transitive always + adv./prep.] to attach or hang something onto something else: Only one strap of his overalls was hooked.hook something on/onto something Buckets were hooked on long poles.2INTEREST/ATTRACT [transitive] informal to succeed in making someone interested in something or attracted to something: ads designed to hook teenagers3FISH [transitive] to catch a fish with a hook: I hooked a trout.4BEND YOUR FINGER/ARM ETC. [transitive always + adv./prep.] to bend your finger, arm, or leg, especially so that you can pull or hold something else: hook something in/around/through something Morris hooked his thumbs in his belt.5BALL [intransitive, transitive] to throw or kick a ball so that it moves in a curve, or to move or curve in this way6RUG [transitive] to make a rug or decoration using short pieces of yarn that are pulled with a special tool through a type of material with wide holeshook up phrasal verb1 slang to start having a sexual relationship with someone2 spoken to meet someone and become friendly with him or her: We first hooked up when we were playing high school basketball.3 informal to agree to work together with another person or organization for a particular purpose: hook up with Poet Levine hooked up with artist Terry Allen to produce the work.4hook something ↔ up to something to connect a piece of electronic equipment to an electricity supply, or to connect a computer system to the Internet: The new TV isn’t hooked up yet. The guy from the cable company is coming to hook us up to the high-speed connection.5hook somebody ↔ up with somebody/something to help someone meet someone or help someone get something: A friend helped hook her up with a specialist in the disease.