HANK'ER, verb intransitive 1. To long for with a keen appetite and uneasiness; in a literal sense; as, to hanker for fruit, or after fruit. 2. To have a vehement desire of something, accompanied with uneasiness; as, to hanker after the diversions of the town. It is usually followed by after. It is a familiar, but not a low word.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI