falcon

[ fawl-kuh n, fal-, faw-kuh n ]

/ ˈfɔl kən, ˈfæl-, ˈfɔ kən /

noun

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.

Falconry.

the female gyrfalcon.
falcon-gentle.
any bird of prey trained for use in falconry.Compare tercel.

a small, light cannon in use from the 15th to the 17th century.

(initial capital letter) Military. a family of air-to-air guided missiles, some of them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

Nearby words

falciform, falciform ligament, falciform ligament of liver, falciform process, falciparum malaria, falcon, falcon-gentle, falconer, falconet, falconiform, falconine

Origin of falcon

1200–50; Middle English fauco(u)n, falcon < Anglo-French, Old French faucon < Late Latin falcōn- (stem of falcō) hawk (said to be derivative of falx, stem falc- sickle, referring to the sicklelike talons)

Related forms

fal·co·nine

[fawl-kuh-nahyn, -nin, fal-, faw-kuh-] /ˈfɔl kəˌnaɪn, -nɪn, ˈfæl-, ˈfɔ kə-/, adjectivefal·co·noid, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for falcon

And that original score that kicks in as a new-age Millennium Falcon swoops into view is sure to get you going.
Chernobyl Drones, Star Wars and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the Falcon is not yet Air Force certified for military and intelligence payloads.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are the Tarpon, the Falcon, the Sea Fox, and the Octopus.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The big guns—Manning and New England Patriot Tom Brady and Atlanta Falcon Matt Ryan (maybe)—have first-round byes.
Buzz Bissinger on the NFL’s No Good, Very Bad Season|Buzz Bissinger|January 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

For herself, Gu chose the English name Horus L. Kai, after the ancient Egyptian god of war, sun, and sky, symbolized as a falcon.
China’s Jackie Kennedy: Gu Kailai and the Bo Xilai’s Scandal|Melinda Liu|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Off came the falcon's hood, and his brilliant eyes winked rapidly as they were getting accustomed again to the light.
Ned, the son of Webb|William O. Stoddard
The falcon rose, circled above her head, and with swift flight sped through the blue air.
The Washer of the Ford|Fiona Macleod
He resolved, however, as soon as they arrived at Rio, to go on board the Falcon and to try and bring him to reason.
The Two Shipmates|William H. G. Kingston
Will you do so, or leave him alone, and take down the falcon to the lure?
The Art and Practice of Hawking|Edward B. Michell
Portrait of Rembrandt, represented with a falcon on his right hand.
Rembrandt and His Works|John Burnet

British Dictionary definitions for falcon

falcon

/ (ˈfɔːlkən, ˈfɔːkən) /

noun

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

any of these or related birds, trained to hunt small game
the female of such a birdCompare tercel Related adjective: falconine

a light-medium cannon used from the 15th to 17th centuries

Word Origin for falcon

C13: from Old French faucon, from Late Latin falcō hawk, probably of Germanic origin; perhaps related to Latin falx sickle

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