Dictionary.com

sparrow hawk

noun

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

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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. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sparrow hawk

British Dictionary definitions for sparrow hawk (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 sparrow hawk (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