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Haw vs Shaw - What's the difference?

haw | shaw |

As nouns the difference between haw and shaw

is that haw is fruit of the hawthorn while shaw is a thicket; a small wood or grove.

As proper nouns the difference between haw and shaw

is that haw is {{surname|topographic and patronymic|from=given names} while Shaw is an English topographic surname for someone who lived by a small wood or copse.

As an interjection haw

is an imitation of laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often doubled or tripled (haw haw or haw haw haw).

As a verb haw

is to stop, in speaking, with a sound like haw; to speak with interruption and hesitation.

haw

English

Etymology 1

Imitative

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • An imitation of laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often doubled or tripled (haw haw'' or ''haw haw haw ).
    • You think that song was good? Haw!
  • An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like "haw"; the sound so made.
  • * Congreve
    • Hums or haws .
    Usage notes
    * (an imitation of laughter) In the US, the spelling haw is rare, with (ha) being more common.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To stop, in speaking, with a sound like haw ; to speak with interruption and hesitation.
    • Derived terms
    * hum and haw, hem and haw

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) hawe, from (etyl) ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Fruit of the hawthorn.
  • (historical) A hedge.

    • Etymology 3

    Unknown

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • An instruction for a horse or other animal to turn towards the driver, typically left.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (of an animal) To turn towards the driver, typically to the left.
    • This horse won't haw when I tell him to.
  • To cause (an animal) to turn left.
    • You may have to go to the front of the pack and physically haw the lead dog.
    Derived terms
    * gee haw whimmy diddle * haw and gee, haw and gee about
    Antonyms
    * (to turn left) gee * (to cause to turn left) gee

    Etymology 4

    Uncertain.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (anatomy) The third eyelid, or nictitating membrane.
    • (Webster 1913)

    Anagrams

    * * ----

    shaw

    English

    Alternative forms

    * shawe

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (label) A thicket; a small wood or grove.
  • *:
  • *:Thenne said sire kay I requyre you lete vs preue this aduenture / I shal not fayle you said sir Gaherys / and soo they rode that tyme tyl a lake / that was that tyme called the peryllous lake / And there they abode vnder the shawe of the wood
  • *1936 , (Alfred Edward Housman), More Poems , V, lines 1-2
    • The snows are fled away, leaves on the shaws , / And grasses in the mead renew their birth,
  • (label) The leaves and tops of vegetables, especially potatoes and turnips.
  • *1932 , (Lewis Grassic Gibbon), Sunset Song'', Polygon, 2006 (''A Scots Quair ), p.35:
  • *:Up here the hills were brave with the beauty and the heat of it, but the hayfield was still all a crackling dryness and in the potato park beyond the biggings the shaws drooped red and rusty already.

    • Anagrams

    * ----