hooker

1 of 2

noun (1)

hook·​er ˈhu̇-kər How to pronounce hooker (audio)
plural hookers
1
informal + disapproving : a person who engages in sexual intercourse in exchange for pay : sex worker
2
old-fashioned : a portion of alcohol : drink
a hooker of whiskey

hooker

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a one-masted fishing boat used on the English and Irish coasts
also : a small clumsy boat

Examples of hooker in a Sentence

Noun (1) went undercover pretending to be a hooker as part of a sting operation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Strip clubs, booze, hookers, blow, the whole nine yards. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 This is how an institution fractures, a culture declines, and Hollywood’s love for hookers and thieves degrades itself. Armond White, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025 Elisabeth Shue played a hooker. Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025 Sure, they’re meant to be funny, but Tomlin inhabits each of them — from Trudy the homeless woman to Brandy and Tina, hookers tired of being interviewed by intellectuals — with affection and empathy alike. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024 This is how an institution fractures, a culture declines, and Hollywood’s love for hookers and thieves degrades itself. Armond White, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025 Really nice hookers like Lucia get life-altering windfalls. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2025 Sure, they’re meant to be funny, but Tomlin inhabits each of them — from Trudy the homeless woman to Brandy and Tina, hookers tired of being interviewed by intellectuals — with affection and empathy alike. Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024 These were strippers, hookers, actresses, and showgirls, all of them with knock-out bodies. Cher, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Dutch hoeker, alteration of Middle Dutch hoecboot, from hoec fishhook + boot boat

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1835, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hooker was in 1801

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hooker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hooker. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.

Biographical Definition

Hooker 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

Hook·​er ˈhu̇-kər How to pronounce Hooker (audio)
Joseph 1814–1879 American general

Hooker

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Sir Joseph Dalton 1817–1911 English botanist

Hooker

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

Richard 1554–1600 English theologian

Hooker

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

Thomas 1586?–1647 English Puritan clergyman and founder of Connecticut
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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