hooker

/ˈhʊkə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈʊkɚ] /ˈhʊkər/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈʊkɚ] /ˈhu̇-kər/ (ame, mw)

hooker — noun

  • hookersingular
  • hookersplural

1. an offensive, informal word for a woman who earns money by having sex with payin

1.名詞C1
釋義

an offensive, informal word for a woman who earns money by having sex with paying clients, often working on the street or in a similar public setting.

例句

Police arrested two men who had been driving slowly past hookers near the train station.

plural noun in everyday news register

Élise made a documentary about young hookers leaving the trade and starting new lives.

common collocation: leave the trade

同義詞
  • prostitute

    more neutral and standard; preferred in formal writing

  • sex worker

    respectful modern term used by advocacy groups and most journalists

  • streetwalker

    informal; specifically a sex worker who finds clients on the street

  • call girl

    informal; a sex worker who meets clients by appointment, often at higher prices

用法筆記

Considered offensive and degrading by many speakers, especially when applied to a real person; news outlets, charities, and academic writing prefer "sex worker" or "prostitute." Most often refers to women, though the word can apply to men.

常見錯誤

❌She works as a hooker at the United Nations.
✅She works as a diplomat at the United Nations.
💡'hooker' only means a sex worker; it is never a neutral job title for office or professional work.
❌I called a hooker to fix my sink.
✅I called a plumber to fix my sink.
💡do not confuse 'hooker' with workers who use hooks or tools; the word refers only to a sex worker.

2. in rugby, the central forward in a scrum's first line, whose main job is using a

2.名詞C2
釋義

in rugby, the central forward in a scrum's first line, whose main job is using a foot to drag the ball back toward their own team.

例句

Liam played hooker for his university rugby club for three seasons before moving to coaching.

play + position name (no article)

The hooker won the ball cleanly and the scrum-half passed it out to the backs.

typical scrum action sequence

同義詞
  • front-row forward

    broader term covering the hooker plus the two props on either side

  • striker

    older British slang for the same rugby position; rarely used today

用法筆記

A specialist rugby term, used in both rugby union and rugby league. The hooker also throws the ball back into play from the touchline at line-outs in rugby union. Outside rugby commentary, the word almost always carries the sex-worker meaning, so context is essential.

常見錯誤

❌The hooker scored the winning goal.
✅The hooker scored the winning try.
💡rugby uses 'try', not 'goal', for a touchdown in the in-goal area.
❌A football hooker pulled the ball back with his foot.
✅A rugby hooker pulled the ball back with his foot.
💡the position only exists in rugby, not in soccer or American football.