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accipiter

[ak-sip-i-ter]
See more synonyms for accipiter on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a hawk of the genus Accipiter, having short, rounded wings and a long tail and feeding chiefly on small mammals and birds.
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Origin of accipiter

1870–75; < New Latin, Latin: hawk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for accipiter

Historical Examples

  • A Dorhawke or kind of Accipiter muscarius conceiued to haue its name from feeding upon flies & beetles.

    Notes and Letters on the Natural History of Norfolk

    Thomas Browne

  • This is a near relative of the Indian koel, which bears remarkable resemblance to an American hawk (Accipiter cooperi).

  • The Cooper hawk (Accipiter cooperii) has been recorded nesting in this hickory.

  • The Sparrow-hawk (Accipiter fringillarius of some authors) will become gentle and tame in captivity.

    Reptiles and Birds

    Louis Figuier

  • Several species of Astur and Accipiter (Bazi) feed on small songsters and mice.

    The Highlands of Ethiopia

    William Cornwallis Harris

British Dictionary definitions for accipiter

accipiter

noun
  1. any hawk of the genus Accipiter, typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
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Word Origin

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