tercel

American

[tur-suhl] / ˈtɜr səl /

Also tercelet

noun

Falconry.

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

tercel British

/ ˈtɜːsəl /

noun

a male falcon or hawk, esp as used in falconry

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tercel

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

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.

The red eyes of the tercel flash as he comes at me.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The tercel ignores them and climbs, it seems to me, into the very stratosphere.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The tercel circles the tree and grows calmer as we descend.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

A wild tercel, the male peregrine falcon, passed overhead.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The female screams an alarm which is answered by the tercel, who instantly appears and dive-bombs Alice.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023