tercel

[ tur-suhl ]

noun

, Falconry.

1. the male of a hawk, especially of a gyrfalcon or peregrine.

tercel

/ ˈtɜːsəl /

noun

1. a male falcon or hawk, esp as used in falconry

Word History and Origins

Origin of tercel¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French terçuel < Vulgar Latin *tertiolus, equivalent to Latin terti ( us ) third + -olus -ole ¹; probably so called because the male is about one third smaller than the female

Word History and Origins

Origin of tercel¹

C14: from Old French, from Vulgar Latin tertiolus (unattested), from Latin tertius third, referring to the tradition that only one egg in three hatched a male chick

Example Sentences

The only difference being, that the victim then was a tercel gentle, and now it would be a white dove.

From Project Gutenberg

By the falcon is always understood the female, as distinguished from the tercel, or male, of the peregrine or goshawk.

From Project Gutenberg

The latter was probably called the tercel, or tiercel, from being about a third smaller than the falcon.

From Project Gutenberg

Shakespeare tells us to choose "a falcon or tercel for flying at the brook, and a hawk for the bush."

From Project Gutenberg

These he fastened firmly together, and set them securely within that window, by which the tercel would come to his lady.

From Project Gutenberg