falcon

noun

fal·​con ˈfal-kən How to pronounce falcon (audio) ˈfȯl- How to pronounce falcon (audio)
 also  ˈfȯ-kən
1
: any of various hawks trained for use in falconry
especially : peregrine falcon
used technically only of a female
compare tiercel
2
: any of various hawks (family Falconidae) that have long pointed wings, a long tail, and a notched beak and that usually inhabit open areas

Illustration of falcon

Illustration of falcon
  • 1 hood
  • 2 jess
  • 3 gauntlet

Examples of falcon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One famous falcon is working as an artist in Vermont. Cathy Free, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The menagerie spans North America’s largest snake to its smallest falcon to Florida’s only endemic mammal — the wide-eyed, sand-loving Florida mouse. Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 The property looks on to a deep river valley where harrier hawks and bush falcons swoop for prey. Lauren Quaintance, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Feb. 2024 The bride wore a leather glove with a piece of quail meat attached to entice Marty the falcon to swoop down and land on her arm. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024 In ancient Egypt, pharaohs were known for keeping falcons, and Amenemhat III famously cared for a crow, consecrating a monument and a tomb to the bird’s memory. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 11 Jan. 2024 Jessica Huete spoke to WSJ about her and her husband's decision to have a falcon swoop down with the couple's rings at her San Diego wedding last year. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 25 Jan. 2024 The show’s main flaw is its MacGuffin, which turns out to be not an object (like the falcon) but rather a small and terrified Algerian boy (Ismaël Berqouch) whom everyone, including the Vatican, is trying to kidnap. Lili Loofbourow, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 Does anyone remember the falcon that lived on the Travelers Tower in the 1980s? Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'falcon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English faucoun, falcon, from Anglo-French faucon, from Late Latin falcon-, falco, probably from Latin falc-, falx

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of falcon was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near falcon

Cite this Entry

“Falcon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/falcon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

falcon

noun
fal·​con ˈfal-kən How to pronounce falcon (audio) ˈfȯl- How to pronounce falcon (audio)
 also  ˈfȯ-kən
1
: a hawk trained for use in falconry
2
: any of various swift hawks with long pointed wings, a long tail, and a notch on the upper half of the beak for killing prey

More from Merriam-Webster on falcon

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