alerion

[uh-leer-ee-uh n, -on]

noun Heraldry.

an eagle displayed, usually represented without a beak or legs.

Origin of alerion

1595–1605; < French alérion ≪ Frankish *adalaron-; cognate with Old High German adelare noble eagle (German Adler eagle), from distinction made in falconry between noble and ignoble birds of prey, equivalent to adal noble + *aron- eagle; see erne

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for alerion

Historical Examples of alerion

Some writers confound it with the martlet, stating that the alerion is the same bird with its wings displayed or extended.
Fictitious & Symbolic Creatures in Art
John Vinycomb
The Alerion is a small bird of the eagle tribe, heraldically depicted as without beak or feet.
Curious Creatures in Zoology
John Ashton
A curious form of the eagle is found in the alerion, which is represented without beak or legs.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies