sparrow hawk

noun

a small, short-winged European hawk, Accipiter nisus, that preys on smaller birds.

Nearby words

sparky, sparling, sparoid, sparring partner, sparrow, sparrow hawk, sparrowfart, sparrowgrass, sparrowhawk, sparry, sparse

Origin of sparrow hawk

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sparrowhawk

Like the sparrowhawk, it frequently hovers in the air and drops upon its prey.
Birds and Nature Vol. 11 No. 4 [April 1902]|Various
One day he saw a sparrowhawk dash down upon a running partridge and struggle with it on the ground.
A Shepherd's Life|W. H. Hudson
The first thing Sparrowhawk did was to lay his hand on the heart of the man he wished to succour.
The Prairie Flower|Gustave Aimard
Sparrowhawk felt his curiosity excited; with that sagacity peculiar to the Indians, he began ferreting about in every direction.
The Prairie Flower|Gustave Aimard

So soon as the procession halted, Sparrowhawk dismounted and walked up to the sachems.
Stronghand|Gustave Aimard

British Dictionary definitions for sparrowhawk (1 of 2)

sparrowhawk

/ (ˈspærəʊˌhɔːk) /

noun

any of several small hawks, esp Accipiter nisus, of Eurasia and N Africa that prey on smaller birds

British Dictionary definitions for sparrowhawk (2 of 2)

sparrow hawk

noun

a very small North American falcon, Falco sparverius, that is closely related to the kestrels

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