howk
/haʊk
/verb [with object, and adverbial] chiefly Scottish
1Dig out or up: deep in their trenches the men stood, howking out the brown earth...
- Sorry can't comment at the moment I'm too busy trying to howk an amazingly stubborn bogey from my scrunched up beak.
- Trump still wants to howk up Balmeadie?
1.1 [no object, with adverbial] Search about by digging or rummaging: Frankie howked among the beer cans...
- ‘Treat this book like a treasure map that tells ye whaur tae howk’, states the introduction.
Origin
Late Middle English holk: related to Middle Low German holken 'to hollow', and hole.