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

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

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

Then in 2023, the resident female falcon appeared to have sustained brain damage after getting "beaten up" by another female.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

A 60% mortality rate in the first year means it's a "tough gig" being a young peregrine falcon, Dr Hurley observes, adding that such a rate is common among predators.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025

Each hawk or falcon stood in the silver upon one leg, the other tucked up inside the apron of its panel, and each was a motionless statue of a knight in armour.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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

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

Chris Atkinson, 44, was looking for peregrine falcons at Bempton Cliffs, near Bridlington, on 18 October when he spotted a circular rainbow in the mist.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024

The Hunters took off down the avenue, followed by their wolves and falcons, and I had a feeling the Lincoln Tunnel would be safe for now.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan