merlin

[ mur-lin ]

/ ˈmɜr lɪn /

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noun

a small, bold falcon, Falco columbarius, of the Northern Hemisphere.

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Also called pigeon hawk.

Origin of merlin

1350–1400; Middle English merlioun, merlone<Anglo-French merilun,Old French esmerillon, diminutive of esmeril<Germanic; akin to German Schmerl,Old Norse smyrill

Words nearby merlin

Merkel, Merkel's corpuscle, merkin, merle, Merleau-Ponty, merlin, Merlo, merlon, Merlot, mermaid, mermaid's purse

Other definitions for merlin (2 of 2)

Merlin

[ mur-lin ]

/ ˈmɜr lɪn /

noun

Arthurian Romance. a venerable magician and seer.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use merlin in a sentence

On top of its new cash infusion, Merlin announced a deal this week with aviation services contractor Dynamic Aviation to provide autonomous flight systems for 55 of its planes, and has already started doing test flights.
Google-Funded Startup Merlin Labs Will Soon Fly 55 Autonomous Planes|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|May 27, 2021|Singularity Hub
As reported by Fast Company, the only country in the world where there is such a certification is New Zealand—where Merlin has a wholly-owned subsidiary, not coincidentally.
Google-Funded Startup Merlin Labs Will Soon Fly 55 Autonomous Planes|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|May 27, 2021|Singularity Hub
The latest findings seem to confirm the 12th-century Arthurian legend about the wizard Merlin’s capture of a magical stone circle to resurrect it many miles away as a memorial to the dead.
Hiking along Virginia’s Aquia Creek and finding history a stone’s throw from home|Walter Nicklin|April 2, 2021|Washington Post
Typically, within an orbit or two of launching, the Falcon 9 rocket's Merlin vacuum engine will relight and nudge the second stage downward so that it harmlessly re-enters Earth's atmosphere into the Pacific Ocean.
A Falcon 9 rocket making an uncontrolled re-entry looked like an alien armada|Eric Berger|March 26, 2021|Ars Technica

His mother was in the dark living room, lying on the couch she and Shemar share as a bed, watching her favorite TV show, “Merlin.”
The Students Left Behind by Remote Learning|by Alec MacGillis|September 28, 2020|ProPublica
She went over to his flat with Merlin, their dog, and she discovered the body.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, he may look like a Montana Republican, talk like a Montana Republican but he sounds like someone from "Balmer, Merlin."
Best Maryland Accent Ever In Montana Political Ad|Ben Jacobs|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Suddenly the Merlin-powered Mustang, as it was called, required far less fuel than any other fighter and outperformed them all.
The Nerds Who Won World War II|Marc Wortman|February 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Merlin was deemed a Special Access Program requiring ultra-high clearances for officials in the know.
Send This Reporter to Jail|Gabriel Schoenfeld|May 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST
After striking down the Rail the Merlin flew into a tree, about ten yards from which the man who shot it found the Rail dead.
Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith
Next, I noticed Merlin gliding away from me; and then I noticed that my lasso was gone!
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Complete|Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Merlin sat here below his apple-tree and lamented Gwendolen; here spoke with Kentigern; here fell into his enchanted trance.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI|Robert Louis Stevenson
Merlin agreed and gave Arthur a cap on which he had cast a spell.
A Treasury of Heroes and Heroines|Clayton Edwards
Letter of Merlin, ubi supra, 239: "Brief c'est merveille que ceste princesse puisse persister constamment en son sainct vouloir."
History of the Rise of the Huguenots|Henry Baird

British Dictionary definitions for merlin (1 of 2)

merlin

/ (ˈmɜːlɪn) /

noun

a small falcon, Falco columbarius, that has a dark plumage with a black-barred tail: used in falconrySee also pigeon hawk

Word Origin for merlin

C14: from Old French esmerillon, from esmeril, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for merlin (2 of 2)

Merlin

/ (ˈmɜːlɪn) /

noun

(in Arthurian legend) a wizard and counsellor to King Arthur eternally imprisoned in a tree by a woman to whom he revealed his secret craft

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

Cultural definitions for merlin

Merlin

In the legends of King Arthur (see also Arthur), a magician who acts as Arthur's principal adviser.