goshawk

American

[gos-hawk] / ˈgɒsˌhɔk /

noun

any of several powerful, short-winged hawks, as Accipiter gentilis, of Europe and America, formerly much used in falconry.

goshawk British

/ ˈɡɒsˌhɔːk /

noun

a large hawk, Accipiter gentilis, of Europe, Asia, and North America, having a bluish-grey back and wings and paler underparts: used in falconry

"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

Etymology

Origin of goshawk

before 1000; Middle English goshauk, Old English gōshafoc. See goose, hawk ¹

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.

One case involved a buzzard, the other a goshawk.

From BBC • May 25, 2026

The talismanic vocabulary of falconry is threaded through this raw-nerved memoir by an experienced British falconer who dealt with the pain of losing a father by training a young goshawk called Mabel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

In her grief, she turns to a childhood interest, falconry, and buys a goshawk.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025

Macdonald said seeing her memoir and her goshawk Mabel come to life for cinema audiences had left her "blown away".

From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025

Thrilled by the privilege of just holding a baby goshawk, I step lightly to the edge of our hideout.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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