hook, v.³ — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hook v.³

[hooker n.³ (1); while there appears to be no evidence of this use before 1950s, it seems unlikely that the word was not in unrecorded use as much as a century earlier]

to engage in prostitution; thus hooking n.

1959		‘Ed McBain’ Killer’s Wedge (1961) 57: She’s been in the city for almost a year, Pete. Hooking mostly.
1966		J. Mills Panic in Needle Park (1971) 72: She was hooking when I met her. So I didn’t go for that at all. ’Cause I hadn’t never made it with a hooker before.
1974		‘Ricki Francis’ Kings X Hooker 52: [H]ere was an avenue if properly used could create a fortune for them ... not hooking on a street but something of better quality.
1981		A.K. Shulman On the Stroll 110: For the first time in the week since she’d been hooking she hadn’t made her trap.
1996		(con. 1964-65) B. Thorpe Sex and Thugs and Rock ’n’ Roll 192: [She] used to hook from time to time.
1998		L. Stringer Grand Central Winter (1999) 159: I assume that the hooking is a recent development, brought on by a hungry stem.
2001		(con. 1964–8) J. Ellroy Cold Six Thousand 90: He usurped the prime snatch. He suborned them to hook.
2005		L. Redhead Rubdown [ebook] Are they aware they’ll be hooking or is it one of those sex slave things.
2010		(con. 1973) C. Stella Johnny Porno 90: No percentage for them letting girls get caught hooking in here.
2014		T. Black Artefacts of the Dead [ebook] Once they were hooked, get them hooking.
2021		J. Ellroy Widespread Panic 109: Babs Payton car-hopped and hooked out of Stan’s drive-in.

In phrases

hook it up (v.)

(US black) to be a prostitute or to act like one.

2000

Ebonics Primer at www.dolemite.com 🌐 hookin’ it up Definition: 1. to prostitute one’s self, or to look like a prostitute. Example 1. Who dat skank ass ho hookin it up with the niggas in my crew?

hook v.3

In phrases

hook v.³