Huck

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /hʌk/

Definitions

1. A quick and forceful act of throwing something ; a person considered unsophisticated or rough in manner
2. An abrupt and strong fling or cast of an object ; a rustic individual often seen as unrefined or simple
3. The act of hurling with quick energy ; a country or unschooled person often perceived as rough

Etymology: The origin of "huck" is uncertain. The clearest lead is the Middle English verb "hukken", which is related to the German "höken", meaning to haggle or to trade. That trading sense sits oddly beside the modern idea of flinging something hard. Other proposals look to the noun "huckle", meaning hip or haunch, and the Middle English "hoke", meaning hook. The old word "hokebone", a name for the hip, hints at a hooking or swinging motion, which might have produced a verb through backformation. Some scholars also suggest a link to the similar-sounding "chuck" or "hoick", but no one has proven any of these routes.