accipiter

[ ak-sip-i-ter ]

/ ækˈsɪp ɪ tər /

Save This Word!

noun

a hawk of the genus Accipiter, having short, rounded wings and a long tail and feeding chiefly on small mammals and birds.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of accipiter

1870–75; <New Latin, Latin: hawk

Words nearby accipiter

accident insurance, accidentology, accident-prone, accident proneness, accidie, accipiter, accipitral, accipitrine, accismus, Accius, acclaim

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use accipiter in a sentence

Then there are two other falconers on foot, one carrying a goshawk and the other a sparrow-hawk (Accipiter nisus).
Jungle Folk|Douglas Dewar
It is in habits and appearance very like the common sparrow-hawk (Accipiter nisus).
Glimpses of Indian Birds|Douglas Dewar
Several species of Astur and Accipiter (Bazi) feed on small songsters and mice.
The Highlands of Ethiopia|William Cornwallis Harris
The Sparrow-hawk (Accipiter fringillarius of some authors) will become gentle and tame in captivity.
Reptiles and Birds|Louis Figuier

This is a near relative of the Indian koel, which bears remarkable resemblance to an American hawk (Accipiter cooperi).
Birds of the Indian Hills|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for accipiter

accipiter

/ (ækˈsɪpɪtə) /

noun

any hawk of the genus Accipiter, typically having short rounded wings and a long tail

Word Origin for accipiter

C19: New Latin, from Latin: hawk

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012