peregrine
Americanadjective
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foreign; alien; coming from abroad.
-
wandering, traveling, or migrating.
noun
adjective
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coming from abroad
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travelling or migratory; wandering
Other Word Forms
- peregrinity noun
Etymology
Origin of peregrine
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin peregrīnus foreign, derivative of peregrē abroad, literally, through (i.e., beyond the borders of ) the field, equivalent to per- per- + -egr-, combining form of ager field + -ē adv. suffix; -ine 1
Explanation
A peregrine is a fairly common type of raptor, or hunting bird. While peregrines are about the size of a crow, they are much fiercer predators. You can also call a peregrine a peregrine falcon. In falconry, the training of hawks and falcons for hunting, peregrines are popular. These birds are found everywhere on earth with just a few exceptions. The word peregrine has a Latin root, peregrinus, "coming from foreign parts" — these birds tend to be caught during migration rather than taken from the nest. Peregrine is also used to simply mean "migratory" or "foreign."
Vocabulary lists containing peregrine
A Lexical Zoo of Animal Adjectives
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My Side of the Mountain
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On the Far Side of the Mountain
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the Houses of Parliament, he holds a peregrine falcon chick while it is ringed for identification.
From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025
A 60% mortality rate in the first year means it's a "tough gig" being a young peregrine falcon, Dr Hurley observes, adding that such a rate is common among predators.
From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025
“He is a mix between a bird of prey, like a peregrine falcon, with extremely streamlined shapes — of course a feline but also a Mexican salamander called an axolotl,” Otto says.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2025
The number of peregrine falcons at Yosemite National Park has soared over the past 15 years since the launch of a protection plan for the once-endangered raptors that nest in the park’s cliffs and peaks.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2024
He tells me how the peregrine falcon hits speeds of 200 miles per hour in a dive.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
