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kestrel

[ kes-truhl ]
/ ˈkɛs trəl /

noun

a common small falcon, Falco tinnunculus, of northern parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, notable for hovering in the air with its head to the wind.
any of several related small falcons, as the American kestrel, F. sparverius.

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Origin of kestrel

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English castrell, ultimately from Middle French quercerelle, variant of crecerelle; further origin uncertain

Words nearby kestrel

Kesh, Kesha, Kesia, Kesselring, Kesteven, kestrel, Keswick, Ket, keta, ketamine, ketch
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for kestrel

British Dictionary definitions for kestrel

kestrel
/ (ˈkɛstrəl) /

noun

any of several small falcons, esp the European Falco tinnunculus, that tend to hover against the wind and feed on small mammals on the ground

Word Origin for kestrel

C15: changed from Old French cresserele, from cressele rattle, from Vulgar Latin crepicella (unattested), from Latin crepitāre to crackle, from crepāre to rustle
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