hike

From English dialectal hyke (“to walk vigorously”), probably a Northern form of hitch, from Middle English hytchen, hichen, icchen (“to move, jerk, stir”). Cognate with Scots hyke (“to move with a jerk”), German dialectal hicken (“to hobble, walk with a limp”), Danish hinke (“to hop”). More at hick.

• IPA^(key): /haɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪk

hike (plural hikes)

1. A long walk.
2. An abrupt increase.

   The tenants were not happy with the rent hike.

3. (American football) The snap of the ball to start a play.
4. A command to a dog sled team, given by a musher

hike (third-person singular simple present hikes, present participle hiking, simple past and past participle hiked)

1. To take a long walk for pleasure or exercise.

   Don't forget to bring the map when we go hiking tomorrow.

2. To unfairly or suddenly raise a price.
3. (American football) To snap the ball to start a play.
4. (nautical) To lean out to the windward side of a sailboat in order to counterbalance the effects of the wind on the sails.
5. To pull up or tug upwards sharply.

   She hiked her skirt up.

• (to take a long walk): tramp
• (to lean to the windward side): lean out, sit out

• hiker
• hiking

• hitchhike
• hitchhiker
• take a hike

Borrowed from Latin hīc.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhikɛ/

hike

1. here, in this place