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

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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)

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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

The number of hours a falcon has flown at Ford Motor’s Hermosillo, Mexico plant after pigeons besieged the facility, posing a health risk to workers and disrupting daily operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The charity said there had been similar issues with oil in the town since 2022, with a peregrine falcon among the birds collected from the same area in the past.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

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

I wanted a falcon so badly, however, that I dug in with my toes and hands and started up.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

A handful of California species recoveries have been championed as success stories under the Endangered Species Act, including southern sea otters, peregrine falcons, humpback whales, bald eagles and green sea turtles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

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

On Friday's many of the members can be found excitedly gazing up to the top of St George's Church in Sheffield, which is home to breeding peregrine falcons.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 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

Two white falcons swoop over each other, beaks open.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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