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

Standing beside Muul along a sidewalk in the Gatewood neighborhood, I craned my neck to look for the merlin at the top of a tall tree but all I saw were branches.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

And those are the trees most favored by the small population of raptors, including the merlin.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

That morning’s arrivals from another rehabber in Moorhead - a near-starving great horned owl and an injured merlin - occupied separate spaces in the barn.

From Washington Times • Jun. 26, 2016

“My ordeal, Mam,” said the friendly merlin, “was to hang by my jesses during the third watch.”

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