*eagle*

n. [ OE. begele; perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. beag small, little, W. bach. F. bigle is from English. ] 1. A small hound, or hunting dog, twelve to fifteen inches high, used in hunting hares and other small game. See Illustration in Appendix. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: A spy or detective; a constable. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) an Australian eagle (Aquila audax), which destroys lambs and even the kangaroo. --
To make bold, to take liberties or the liberty; to venture. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Courageous; daring; brave; intrepid; fearless; dauntless; valiant; manful; audacious; stouthearted; high-spirited; adventurous; confident; strenuous; forward; impudent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. egle, F. aigle, fr. L. aquila; prob. named from its color, fr. aquilus dark-colored, brown; cf. Lith. aklas blind. Cf. Aquiline. ] 1. (Zoöl.) Any large, rapacious bird of the Falcon family, esp. of the genera Aquila and Haliæetus. The eagle is remarkable for strength, size, graceful figure, keenness of vision, and extraordinary flight. The most noted species are the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaëtus); the imperial eagle of Europe (Aquila mogilnik or Aquila imperialis); the American bald eagle (Haliæetus leucocephalus); the European sea eagle (Haliæetus albicilla); and the great harpy eagle (Thrasaetus harpyia). The figure of the eagle, as the king of birds, is commonly used as an heraldic emblem, and also for standards and emblematic devices. See Bald eagle, Harpy, and Golden eagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A gold coin of the United States, of the value of ten dollars. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astron.) A northern constellation, containing Altair, a star of the first magnitude. See Aquila. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The figure of an eagle borne as an emblem on the standard of the ancient Romans, or so used upon the seal or standard of any people. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though the Roman eagle shadow thee. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Some modern nations, as the United States, and France under the Bonapartes, have adopted the eagle as their national emblem. Russia, Austria, and Prussia have for an emblem a double-headed eagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bald eagle. See Bald eagle. --
Bold eagle. See under Bold. --
Double eagle, a gold coin of the United States worth twenty dollars. --
Eagle hawk (Zoöl.), a large, crested, South American hawk of the genus Morphnus. --
Eagle owl (Zoöl.), any large owl of the genus Bubo, and allied genera; as the American great horned owl (Bubo Virginianus), and the allied European species (B. maximus). See Horned owl. --
Eagle ray (Zoöl.), any large species of ray of the genus Myliobatis (esp. M. aquila). --
Eagle vulture (Zoöl.), a large West African bid (Gypohierax Angolensis), intermediate, in several respects, between the eagles and vultures. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sharp-sighted as an eagle. “Inwardly eagle-eyed.” Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Farsighted and strong-sighted; sharp-sighted. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. aiglesse. ] (Zoöl.) A female or hen eagle. [ R. ] Sherwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) A concretionary nodule of clay ironstone, of the size of a walnut or larger, so called by the ancients, who believed that the eagle transported these stones to her nest to facilitate the laying of her eggs; aëtites. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. aiglet. ] (Zoöl.) A young eagle, or a diminutive eagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the wings of an eagle; swift, or soaring high, like an eagle. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Skr. aguru, through Pg. aguila; cf. F. bois d'aigle. ] A kind of fragrant wood. See Agallochum. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. D. gier vulture, G. gier, and E. gyrfalcon. ] (Zool.) A bird referred to in the Bible (Lev. xi. 18and Deut. xiv. 17) as unclean, probably the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An officer, especially an attorney, of the Ku Klux Klan. [ PJC ]

n. (Zool.) A species of shark (Lamna cornubica), about eight feet long, having a pointed nose and a crescent-shaped tail; -- called also mackerel shark. [ Written also probeagle. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Porbeagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Zool.) Any one of several species of fish-eating eagles of the genus Haliaeetus and allied genera, as the North Pacific sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), which has white shoulders, head, rump, and tail; the European white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla); and the Indian white-tailed sea eagle, or fishing eagle (Polioaetus ichthyaetus). The bald eagle and the osprey are also sometimes classed as sea eagles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) The eagle ray. See under Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Characterized by a pretentious, boastful, exaggerated style; defiantly or extravagantly bombastic, especially regarding of the greatness of the U. S.; as, a spread-eagle orator; a spread-eagle speech. [ Colloq. & Humorous ] [ MW10 ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. i. To assume a spread-eagled position; -- it may be done reclining, for relaxation, or momentarily, as an exhibitionary maneuver in a sport. [ PJC ]

a. Being in a position with the arms and legs extended fully. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. Tackle. ] A hoisting apparatus; an elevator; a crane; a lift. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]