merlin

¹ American  

[mur-lin] / ˈmɜr lɪn /

noun

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

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Merlin ² American  

[mur-lin] / ˈmɜr lɪn /

noun

1. Arthurian Legend. a venerable magician and seer.

2. a male given name.

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Merlin ¹ British  

/ ˈmɜːlɪn /

noun

1. (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

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merlin ² British  

/ ˈmɜːlɪn /

noun

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

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Merlin Cultural  

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

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

The estate is home to rare wildlife, including curlew, mountain bumblebees, lapwings, red squirrels, cuckoo and merlin, as well as Atlantic salmon and critically endangered eels, but the conservationists say nature could be richer still.

From BBC • Oct. 29, 2025

I would suggest some additional fine points to its content regarding the emphasis on the black merlin that keeps us company and provides moments of splendor and beauty for inquiring eyes.

From Seattle Times • May 31, 2024

For all the time I spent on sidewalks looking up, I have not yet seen a Seattle merlin.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

Smithsonian interns Tim Baerwald and Zachary Bordner snared the merlin at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with help from its natural enemy: a great horned owl.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2022

In those days they used to hood everything they could, even the goshawk and the merlin, which are no longer hooded according to modem practice.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White