falcon

American  

[fawl-kuhn, fal-, faw-kuhn] / ˈfɔl kən, ˈfæl-, ˈfɔ kən /

noun

• falcons
  plural

1. any of several birds of prey of the family Falconidae, especially of the genus Falco, usually distinguished by long, pointed wings, a hooked beak with a toothlike notch on each side of the upper bill, and swift, agile flight, typically diving to seize prey: some falcon species are close to extinction.

2. Falconry.

   1. the female gyrfalcon.

   2. falcon-gentle.

   3. any bird of prey trained for use in falconry.

3. a small, light cannon in use from the 15th to the 17th century.

4. Military. Falcon, a family of air-to-air guided missiles, some of them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

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falcon British  

/ ˈfɔːkən, ˈfɔːlkən /

noun

1. any diurnal bird of prey of the family Falconidae , esp any of the genus Falco (gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, etc), typically having pointed wings and a long tail

2. 1. any of these or related birds, trained to hunt small game

   2. the female of such a bird Compare tercel

3. a light-medium cannon used from the 15th to 17th centuries

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• falconine
  adjective
• falconoid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• falcons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of falcon

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English fauco(u)n, falcon, from Anglo-French, Old French faucon, from Late Latin falcōn- (stem of falcō ) “hawk” (said to be derivative of falx, stem falc- “sickle,” referring to the sicklelike talons)

Explanation

A falcon is a large hunting bird. Falcons are strong, with long wingspans and very sharp eyesight — not to mention their very sharp beaks. Falcons use their powerful wings and vision to spot prey while flying and swoop down on it. They can fly rapidly and change direction very quickly. A falcon is a type of raptor, birds of prey that include eagles and vultures. The peregrine falcon, is the fastest-moving of all animals. The Latin root of falcon is probably falx, "curved blade or sickle," which describes the shape of the bird's talons and beak.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

falcon falcons

Its velvet binding has metal corner guards bearing her crowned falcon with a lion rampant, dragon and greyhound, and Anne’s motifs recur in the illuminations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

A peregrine falcon that was found injured in Nottingham has been successfully reunited with its family.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

They are widely referred to as "heavenly horses" -- a moniker based on a legend about an Akhal-Teke horse beating a falcon in a mythical race.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Other wall-mounted falcon sculptures in wood, bronze and glass suggest sconces, trophies and Greco-Roman urns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

You couldn’t train a falcon, then expect it not to hunt.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

A handful of California species recoveries have been championed as success stories under the Endangered Species Act, including southern sea otters, peregrine falcons, humpback whales, bald eagles and green sea turtles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

She called the club, and told them: "I think I can help you out. I have hawks and falcons that I fly."

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

Targeted species include eagles, red kites, peregrine falcons, hen harriers, goshawks and barn owls.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

Dmitriev directed Russia’s sovereign-wealth fund to support a program to protect rare Russian falcons, then delivered them to Saudi and Qatari royals as gifts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

“I never knew peregrine falcons made nests. They like bare ground.”

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George