hook

1 noun (C)

1 FOR HANGING THINGS ON a curved piece of metal or plastic that you use for hanging things on: Put your coat on the hook.

2 FOR CATCHING FISH a curved piece of thin metal with a sharp point for catching fish: a fish hook

3 by hook or by crook if you are going to do something by hook or by crook, you are determined to do it: In the old days if you had a deadline, you met it by hook or by crook.

4 let/get sb off the hook to allow someone or help someone to get out of a difficult situation: We almost sued the magazine for libel, but in the end we let them off the hook.

5 leave/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 you

6 WAY OF HITTING SB a way of hitting your opponent in boxing, in which your elbow is bent

7 hook, line, and sinker if someone believes something hook, line, and sinker, they believe a lie completely: She swallowed the whole story hook, line, and sinker.

8 A TUNE a part of the tune in a song that makes it very easy to remember

—see also: boat hook, sling your hook sling 1 (4) 2 verb (T)

1 FISH to catch a fish with a hook: I hooked a 20 pound salmon last week.

2 FASTEN (always + adv/prep) to fasten or hang something onto something else: hook sth over/around/onto etc: He managed to hook his leg over the branch. | get hooked on/onto: My jacket got hooked on a rosebush.

3 BEND YOUR FINGER/ARM ETC (always + adv/prep) to bend your finger, arm, or leg, especially so that you can pull or hold something else: hook sth around/over etc: Jack hooked his arm around the other man's neck.

4 ATTRACT AmE informal to succeed in attracting someone

hook sth up phrasal verb (T) especially AmE to connect a piece of electronic equipment to another piece of equipment or to an electricity supply: Is the video hooked up to the TV? hook up with phrasal verb (T) especially AmE

a) to meet someone and become friendly with them: I'll give you a few names of people to hook up with out there.

b) to agree to work together with another organization for a particular purpose