Found 2 items, similar to by hook or by crook.
English → English (WordNet) Definition: by hook or by crook by hook or by crook adv : in any way necessary; “I'll pass this course by hook or by crook” [syn: by any means]
English → English (gcide) Definition: By hook or by crook Hook \Hook\ (h[oo^]k; 277), n. [OE. hok, AS. h[=o]c; cf. D. haak, G. hake, haken, OHG. h[=a]ko, h[=a]go, h[=a]ggo, Icel. haki, Sw. hake, Dan. hage. Cf. Arquebuse, Hagbut, Hake, Hatch a half door, Heckle.] 1. A piece of metal, or other hard material, formed or bent into a curve or at an angle, for catching, holding, or sustaining anything; as, a hook for catching fish; a hook for fastening a gate; a boat hook, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. That part of a hinge which is fixed to a post, and on which a door or gate hangs and turns. [1913 Webster] 3. An implement for cutting grass or grain; a sickle; an instrument for cutting or lopping; a billhook. [1913 Webster] Like slashing Bentley with his desperate hook. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 4. (Steam Engin.) See Eccentric, and V-hook. [1913 Webster] 5. A snare; a trap. [R.] --Shak. [1913 Webster] 6. A field sown two years in succession. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster] 7. pl. The projecting points of the thigh bones of cattle; -- called also hook bones. [1913 Webster] 8. (Geog.) A spit or narrow cape of sand or gravel turned landward at the outer end; as, Sandy Hook in New Jersey. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC] 9. (Sports) The curving motion of a ball, as in bowling or baseball, curving away from the hand which threw the ball; in golf, a curving motion in the direction of the golfer who struck the ball. [PJC] 10. (Computers) A procedure within the encoding of a computer program which allows the user to modify the program so as to import data from or export data to other programs. [PJC] By hook or by crook, one way or other; by any means, direct or indirect. --Milton. “In hope her to attain by hook or crook.” --Spenser. Off the hook, freed from some obligation or difficulty; as, to get off the hook by getting someone else to do the job. [Colloq.] Off the hooks, unhinged; disturbed; disordered. [Colloq.] “In the evening, by water, to the Duke of Albemarle, whom I found mightly off the hooks that the ships are not gone out of the river.” --Pepys. On one's own hook, on one's own account or responsibility; by one's self. [Colloq. U.S.] --Bartlett. To go off the hooks, to die. [Colloq.] --Thackeray. Bid hook, a small boat hook. Chain hook. See under Chain. Deck hook, a horizontal knee or frame, in the bow of a ship, on which the forward part of the deck rests. Hook and eye, one of the small wire hooks and loops for fastening together the opposite edges of a garment, etc. Hook bill (Zo["o]l.), the strongly curved beak of a bird. Hook ladder, a ladder with hooks at the end by which it can be suspended, as from the top of a wall. Hook motion (Steam Engin.), a valve gear which is reversed by V hooks. Hook squid, any squid which has the arms furnished with hooks, instead of suckers, as in the genera Enoploteuthis and Onychteuthis. Hook wrench, a wrench or spanner, having a hook at the end, instead of a jaw, for turning a bolthead, nut, or coupling. [1913 Webster] crook \crook\ (kr[oo^]k), n. [OE. crok; akin to Icel. kr[=o]kr hook, bend, SW. krok, Dan. krog, OD. krooke; or cf. Gael. crocan crook, hook, W. crwca crooked. Cf. Crosier, Crotchet, Crutch, Encroach.] 1. A bend, turn, or curve; curvature; flexure. [1913 Webster] Through lanes, and crooks, and darkness. --Phaer. [1913 Webster] 2. Any implement having a bent or crooked end. Especially: (a) The staff used by a shepherd, the hook of which serves to hold a runaway sheep. (b) A bishop's staff of office. Cf. Pastoral staff. [1913 Webster] He left his crook, he left his flocks. --Prior. [1913 Webster] 3. A pothook. “As black as the crook.” --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 4. An artifice; trick; tricky device; subterfuge. [1913 Webster] For all yuor brags, hooks, and crooks. --Cranmer. [1913 Webster] 5. (Mus.) A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key. [1913 Webster] 6. A person given to fraudulent practices; an accomplice of thieves, forgers, etc. [Cant, U.S.] [1913 Webster] By hook or by crook, in some way or other; by fair means or foul. [1913 Webster]