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• merlin
  merlin

  noun

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

  noun

  a venerable magician and seer.

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

merlin Merlin

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

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

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024

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

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

“Send him over to stand by Colonel Cully while we ring three times,” said the other merlin.

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

Seth Spergel, a managing partner at cybersecurity investor Merlin Ventures, said much of the momentum this year springs from the emergence of frontier AI models capable of detecting security vulnerabilities at lightning speeds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Head's career spanned more than four decades, with roles including Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, King Uther in Merlin and the Prime Minister in Little Britain.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

This comes after Moscow earlier this month seized the businesses and assets of Swiss food giant Nestle, as well as French retailer Auchan and the former Leroy Merlin DIY chain.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

Byrne is survived by his siblings Eileen, Sandy, Carol and Steve; his three children, Merlin, Dylan and Chloe; and his ex-wife, Elena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

All of the versions of the Merlin story he knows involve the magician being imprisoned.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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