golden eagle

American

noun

a large eagle, Aquila chrysaëtos, of the Northern Hemisphere, having golden-brown feathers on the back of the head and neck.

golden eagle British

noun

a large eagle, Aquila chrysaetos, of mountainous regions of the N hemisphere, having a plumage that is golden brown on the back and brown elsewhere

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

golden eagles

plural

Etymology

Origin of golden eagle

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

golden eagle

The wingspan of an adult bald eagle ranges from 5.5 to 8 feet across; it’s roughly the same for a golden eagle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2025

In life it would have been about 2 m in wingspan, similar to that of large birds like the golden eagle.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024

Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths, according to a recent government study.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024

She noted that the trees are important shelter and habitat for species like the golden eagle, other raptors and even the threatened desert tortoise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2023

Displayed behind him were the tattered, frozen banners of a Roman legion, including a large, golden eagle with its wings spread. fVe await you, the giant’s voice boomed.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023