- falcon
- falcon [fal′kən, fôl′′kən, fäl′kən, fô′kən]n.[ME < OFr faucon < LL falco (gen. falconis), deriv. by folk etym. < L falx (see FALCATE) because of its curved beak and talons, but prob. < Gmc * falco (OHG falcho) < IE base * pel-, FALLOW2]1. any bird of prey trained to hunt and kill small game: in falconry the female is called a falcon, the male a tiercel2. any of various birds of prey (family Falconidae), with long, pointed wings and a short, curved, notched beak3. a small cannon used from the 15th to the 17th cent.
English World dictionary. V. Neufeldt. 2014.