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goshawk - 4 dictionary results

gos⋅hawk

  [gos-hawk]
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–noun
any of several powerful, short-winged hawks, as Accipiter gentilis, of Europe and America, formerly much used in falconry.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME goshauk, OE gōshafoc. See goose, hawk 1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gos·hawk   (gŏs'hôk')   
n.  
  1. A large powerful hawk (Accipiter gentilis) having broad rounded wings, a long tail, and gray or brownish plumage.
  2. Any of several similar or related hawks.

[Middle English goshauk, from Old English gōshafoc : gōs, goose; see goose + hafoc, hawk; see hawk1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Goshawk

Gos"hawk`\, n. [AS. g?shafuc, lit., goosehawk; or Icel. g[=a]shaukr. See Goose, and Hawk the bird.] (Zo["o]l.) Any large hawk of the genus Astur, of which many species and varieties are known. The European (Astur palumbarius) and the American (A. atricapillus) are the best known species. They are noted for their powerful flight, activity, and courage. The Australian goshawk (A. Nov[ae]-Hollandi[ae]) is pure white.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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goshawk 
O.E. goshafoc, lit. "goose-hawk," from gos "goose" + hafoc "hawk" (cf. O.N. gashaukr).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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