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falcon
(fal′kən, fôl′-, fäl′-, fô′-)
noun
- any bird of prey trained to hunt and kill small game: in falconry the female is called a falcon, the male a tiercel
- any of various birds of prey (family Falconidae), with long, pointed wings and a short, curved, notched beak
- a small cannon used from the 15th to the 17th cent.
Origin: ME < OFr faucon < LL falco (gen. falconis), deriv. by folk etym. < L falx (see falcate) because of its curved beak and talons, but prob. < Gmc *falco (OHG falcho) < IE base *pel-, fallow
See falcon in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- a. Any of various birds of prey of the family Falconidae and especially of the genus Falco, having a short, curved beak and long, pointed, powerful wings adapted for swift flight.b. Any of several birds of these or related species, such as hawks, trained to hunt small game.c. A female bird of this type used in falconry.
- A small cannon in use from the 15th to the 17th century.
Origin:
Origin: Middle English
Origin: , from Old French faucon, falcun
Origin: , from Late Latin falcō, falcōn-; see pel-1 in Indo-European roots
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