definitions

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.
  1. the female gyrfalcon.
  2. falcon-gentle.
  3. 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

British Dictionary definitions for falconine (1 of 2)

falconine

/ (ˈfɔːlkəˌnaɪn, ˈfɔːkə-) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a falcon
of, relating to, or belonging to the family Falconidae, which includes the falcons

British Dictionary definitions for falconine (2 of 2)

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
  1. any of these or related birds, trained to hunt small game
  2. 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