gyrfalcon

Also ger·fal·con

[jur-fawl-kuhn, -fal-, -faw-kuhn]

noun

1. a large falcon, Falco rusticolus, of Arctic and subarctic regions, having white, gray, or blackish color phases: now greatly reduced in number.

gyrfalcon

/ ˈdʒɜːˌfɔːlkən, -ˌfɔːkən /

noun

1. a very large rare falcon, Falco rusticolus, of northern and arctic regions: often used for hunting

Word History and Origins

Origin of gyrfalcon¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gerfaucon, jerfacoun, from Middle French, Old French, equivalent to ger- (perhaps from Old High German giri “greedy”) + faucon falcon; compare Old Norse geirfalki

Word History and Origins

Origin of gyrfalcon¹

C14: from Old French gerfaucon, perhaps from Old Norse geirfalki, from geirr spear + falki falcon

Example Sentences

The copperplate lines are so exact they mimic the individual venation of feathers; the neck of a gyrfalcon takes on all the ripply realism of moiréd silk.

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For me, it's probably a bird called a gyrfalcon.

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It's a wild place where herds of caribou move around wolves and bears in wide arcs, musk oxen graze among dwarf willows, and gyrfalcons search the terrain for waterbirds.

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In 2018 an endangered gyrfalcon named Aurora was the Air Force Academy’s mascot.

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The service academy’s students will vote on a name for the female gyrfalcon from suggestions submitted via social media, The Gazette reports.

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