falconine
kən, ˈfæl-, ˈfɔ noun
1.
any of several birds of prey of the family Falconidae, especially of the genus Falco, usually distinguished by long, pointed wings, a hooked beak with a toothlike notch on each side of the upper bill, and swift, agile flight, typically diving to seize prey: some falcon species are close to extinction.
2.
Falconry.
a.
the female gyrfalcon.
3.
a small, light cannon in use from the 15th to the 17th century.
4.
( initial capital letter ) Military. a family of air-to-air guided missiles, some of them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
Origin:
1200–50; Middle English fauco(u)n, falcon < Anglo-French, Old French faucon < Late Latin falcōn- (stem of falcō) hawk (said to be derivative of falx, stem falc- sickle, referring to the sicklelike talons)
1200–50; Middle English fauco(u)n, falcon < Anglo-French, Old French faucon < Late Latin falcōn- (stem of falcō) hawk (said to be derivative of falx, stem falc- sickle, referring to the sicklelike talons)
Related forms
fal·co·noid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To falconine
00:10
Falconine
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
falcon (ˈfɔːlkən, ˈfɔːkən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | any diurnal bird of prey of the family Falconidae, esp any of the genus Falco (gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, etc), typically having pointed wings and a long tail |
| 2. | a. any of these or related birds, trained to hunt small game |
| b. Compare tercel the female of such a birdRelated: falconine | |
| 3. | a light-medium cannon used from the 15th to 17th centuries |
| Related: falconine | |
| [C13: from Old French faucon, from Late Latin falcō hawk, probably of Germanic origin; perhaps related to Latin falx sickle] | |
| falconine (ˈfɔːlkəˌnaɪn, ˈfɔːkə-) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | of, relating to, or resembling a falcon |
| 2. | of, relating to, or belonging to the family Falconidae, which includes the falcons |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
falcon
mid-13c., from O.Fr. faucon, from L.L. falconem (nom. falco), probably from L. falx (gen. falcis) "sickle," usually said to be so called for the shape of its talons or beak, but possibly from the shape of its spread wings. The other theory is that falx is of Germanic origin, which is supported by the
antiquity of the word in Germanic but opposed by those who point out that falconry by all evidences was imported from the East, and the Germans got it from the Romans, not the other way around.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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