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

Beresford said all the effort was worth it when the falcon had recovered.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Each is fitted with a tracker so they can easily be found if they venture beyond the Kynren site, with a peregrine falcon recently making an excursion to Spennymoor.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 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

Local media have reported that the Dutch couple may have visited the area to try to sight local bird species such as the white-throated caracara, a member of the falcon family.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

The madwoman folded a map into the shape of a falcon.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

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

On Friday's many of the members can be found excitedly gazing up to the top of St George's Church in Sheffield, which is home to breeding peregrine falcons.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 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

What’s true of falcons and songbirds also applies to murder suspects.

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2025

A pack of white timber wolves milled around their feet, and many of the girls had hunting falcons on their arms.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan