tercel, tiercel
(ˈtɜːs(ə)l, ˈtɪəs(ə)l)
Forms: α. 5 tercelle, -sell(e, 5–7 -cell, -sel, 6– 8 -sal (7 terssell), 4– tercel. β. 5–7 tarcel(l, -sell, 6 -sall, 7–8 -sel, 8 -cel. γ. 5–7 tassell, 6–9 tassel (7 -il(l, 6 tossell). δ. 6 tyercelle, 7 -cell, 7– tiercel.
[a. OF. tercel (a 1200 in Godef.), beside ter{cced}uel (12–13th c.), also tresuel, tercieul, = Pr. tersol, tresol, Sp. terzuelo, It. terz(u)olo:—pop. L. tertiolus (13th c. in Du Cange), dim. from L. tertius third: cf. L. fīlius, dim. fīliolus, It. figliuolo, F. filleul. With the tar- forms, cf. bark, barn, clerk, etc.; the γ-forms confuse tarsel and tassel; the δ-forms are influenced by mod.F.]
The male of any kind of hawk; in Falconry esp. of the peregrine falcon (tercel-gentle) and the goshawk. tercel jerkin [jerkin2]: see quot. 1623.
Said by some to have been so called as being one-third smaller than the female bird, by others because a third egg in a nest was believed to be smaller and to produce a male bird: cf. quot. s.v. tercellene.
| α c 1381 Chaucer Parl. Foules (MSS. 1430–) 405 And therwithal the tersel [v.rr. tarsell, tercel, tersell] gan she calle. 14.. Nom. in Wr.-Wülcker 701/28 Hic tercellus, a tercelle. 1486 Bk. St. Albans A iij, If she be a Goshawke or Tercell that shall be reclaymed euer fede hym with washe meete at the drawyng. 1615 Boyle in Lismore Papers (1886) I. 78, I sent a Tercell of a goshawk to my cozen. 1623 Cockeram iii. s.v. Hawks, A Gerfalcon, the male is called the Tercell Ierkin thereof. 1834 R. Mudie Brit. Birds (1841) I. 86 The falcon always means the female, and the male is called the tercel. 1842 Browning Count Gismond xxi, And have you brought my tercel back? |
| † β 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 615/24 Tardarius, a tarcel. a 1500 Chaucer's Parl. Foules 415 (MS. R. 3. 19, Trin. C.C.) Thys Royall Tarcell spake and taryed nought. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 81 The tarsall gaif him tug for tug. c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) I. 303 The falcons, tarsells, and other hawkes. c 1704 Prior Henry & Emma 110 When Emma hawks: With her of tarsels and of lures he talks. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1862) II. ii. i. 30 The male is called by falconers a tarcel; that is, a tierce or third less than the other [the female]. |
| † γ 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 17 §3 Any Hawke of the brede of Englond callid Nyesse, gossehauke, tassell,..or fawcon. 1545 Rates of Customs b iv, Goshaukes the pece xiii.s. iiii.d. The tassell vi.s. viii.d. 1635 Swan Spec. M. (1670) 355 The Tassel of the Saker is called a Hobbie, or Mongrel Hawk. 1727 Bradley's Fam. Dict. s.v. Hawk, The Male of an Eyess, is an Eyess-Tassel,..and of a Haggard, the Haggard-Tassel. |
| δ 1575 Turberv. Falconrie 3 All these kynde of hawkes haue their Tyercelles, whiche are the male byrdes and cockes. 1658 Phillips, Tiercel,..the same as Tassel [1678 adds] and Tercel. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 236/1 A Tyerclet, or Tyercell of a Goshawk. 1865 Cornh. Mag. May 625 Tiercels are better than falcons for magpie-hawking, as they are unquestionably quicker amongst hedgerows, and can turn in a smaller compass. |
b. fig. Applied to a person.
| a 1585 Montgomerie Flyting 90 Foule..tersell of a taide! 1611 Chapman May Day Plays 1873 II. 355 Whose foole are you? are not you the tassell of a Gander? 1856 G. H. Boker Leonor de Guzman i. ii, The ragged tercel that takes all our wealth. |