Hawkweed
/ˈhɔːkˌwiːd/noun
Any of several yellow-flowered plants of the genus Hieracium, often with hairy leaves.
Did you know?The first element is from Old English *hafoc* (“hawk”), and the plant name was likely inspired by the old belief that hawks had keen, piercing sight — the kind of symbolic naming that turns a weed into a talisman.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kap-
“to seize, grasp”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*habukaz
“hawk”
Old English
English
hafoc
“hawk”
Middle English
English
hawke
“hawk”
Modern English
English
hawkweed
“a hawk-named weed, especially plants of the genus Hieracium”