n. [ OE. faucon, faucoun, OF. faucon, falcon, &unr_;. faucon, fr. LL. falco, perh. from L. falx, falcis, a sickle or scythe, and named from its curving talons. Cf. Falchion. ]
In the language of falconry, the female peregrine (Falco peregrinus) is exclusively called the falcon. Yarrell. [ 1913 Webster ]
Chanting falcon. (Zool.)
n. [ OE. fauconer, OF. falconier, fauconier, F. fauconnier. See Falcon. ] A person who breeds or trains hawks for taking birds or game; one who follows the sport of fowling with hawks. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Dim. of falcon: cf. F. fauconneau, LL. falconeta, properly, a young falcon. ]
a. (Zool.) Like a falcon or hawk; belonging to the
n. [ Cf. F. fauconnerie. See Falcon. ]
n. (Zool.) See Falcon-gentil. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Zool.) See Gyrfalcon. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ Cf. Gier-eagle, Gyrfalcon. ] (Zool.) The gyrfalcon. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OE. gerfaucon, OF. gerfaucon, LL. gyrofalco, perh. fr. L. gyrus circle + falco falcon, and named from its circling flight; or cf. E. gier-eagle. See Gyre, n., Falcon. ] (Zool.) One of several species and varieties of large Arctic falcons, esp. Falco rusticolus and the white species Falco Islandicus, both of which are circumpolar. The black and the gray are varieties of the former. See Illust. of Accipiter.
n. (Zool.) The gyrfalcon. [ 1913 Webster ]