▪ I. falcon, n.
(ˈfɔːlkən, ˈfɔːk(ə)n)
Forms: 3–4 faukun, 4 faucoun, -kon, -koun, 4 facoun, 4–7 faucon(e, 5–6 facon, 5–7 faw(l)con, -kon, (5 fawken), 6–8 faulcon, (7 -kon), 5– falcon.
[ME. faucon (faukun), a. OF. faucon, falcun, ad. late L. falcōn-em, falco, commonly believed to be f. falc-, falx sickle, the name being due to the resemblance of the hooked talons to a reaping-hook. Cf. It. falcone, Sp. halcon. In the 15th cent. the spelling was refashioned after Lat.]
1. Ornith. One of a family of the smaller diurnal birds of prey, characterized by a short hooked beak, powerful claws, and great destructive power; esp. one trained to the pursuit of other birds or game, usually the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). In Falconry, applied only to the female, the male, being smaller and less adapted for the chase, is called the tercel or tiercel.
| a 1250 Owl & Night. 101 That other ȝer a faukun bredde. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 34 Fecche þe hom Faucons þe Foules to quelle. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 335 Sparre⁓howke, ffawken, and gentille gossehawke. 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. iv. 12 A Faulcon towring in her pride of place. 1653 Walton Angler i. (1655) 11 It [Air] stops not the high soaring of my noble generous Falcon. 1735 Somerville Chase iii. 94 As stoops the Falcon bold To pounce his Prey. a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 213 He laid a bet upon his falcon's flight. 1868 Wood Homes without H. xxix. 561 The Great Grey Shrike was formerly used as a falcon. |
b. with epithet defining the species.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xlvi, By comparyson as fawcons pelegrines. 1678 Ray Willughby's Ornith. 79 It is said to be lesser than a Peregrine Falcon. 1781 Latham Hist. Birds I. 54 White-rumped Bay Falcon. 1785 Pennant Arct. Zool. II. 208 Plain Falcon. 1802 G. Montagu Ornith. Dict. 537 White Falcon, a name for the Jer Falcon. 1821 Selby Brit. Ornith. i. 39 Spotted Falcon: a name for the Peregrine Falcon. 1875 W. M{supc}Ilwraith Guide Wigtownshire, These cliffs are frequented by the Peregrine falcon. |
2. A representation of a falcon.
| 1525 in Glasscock Rec. St. Michael's Bp. Stortford (1882) 39 For the scoryng..the facon and the branche before seynt mighill xiiijd. 1589 Hakluyt Voy. (1600) III. 736 A..Gentleman, from whom our Generall tooke a Fawlcon of golde with a great Emeraud in the Breast thereof. |
3. An ancient kind of light cannon.
[For the practice of naming species of fire-arms from birds of prey,
cf. musket.]
| 1496 Ld. Bothwell in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 13. I. 31 Y⊇ provision of Ordinance..is bot litill..ij. great curtaldis..x. falconis or litill serpentinis. 1577–87 Harrison England, ii. xvi. (1877) 281 Falcon hath eight hundred pounds, and two inches and a half within the mouth. 1663 Flagellum; or O. Cromwell (1672) 103 Two demy Culverings..two Falcons. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. iv. xx, Falcon and culver on each tower. 1849 J. Grant Kirkaldy of Gr. xv. 163 The royal stores furnished..falcons, or light six-pound field⁓pieces. |
4. Comb. chiefly
attrib., as (sense 1)
falcon-face,
falcon-fisher,
falcon-flight,
falcon-guise,
falcon-nest;
falcon-eyed adj.;
falcon-like adj. and
adv.; (sense 3)
falcon shot.
| 1847 Tennyson Princ. ii. 26 A quick brunette, well-moulded, *falcon-eyed. |
| 1891 M. M. Dowie Girl in Karp. xiii. 171 He had the genuine ‘*falcon-face’ of the Huculs. |
| 1759 tr. Adanson's Voy. Senegal in Pinkerton Voy. (1814) XVI. 649 The *falcon-fisher..is a bird about the bigness of a goose. |
| a 1835 Mrs. Hemans Poems, Indian with dead Child, The arrows of my father's bow Their *falcon-flight have sped. |
| 1889 R. B. Anderson tr. Rydberg's Teut. Mythol. 60 In the Norse mythology..Freyja had a *falcon-guise. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Elegy G. Adolphus Wks. (1711) 54 With full plum'd wing thou *faulkon-like could fly. 1852 Reade Peg Woff. (1853) 88 To see her falcon-like stoop upon the stage. |
| 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iv. viii, Canna's tower..Like *falcon-nest o'erhung the bay. |
| 1598 Barret Theor. Warres v. iii. 134, 2 thousand *Falcon shot. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 714 It is within falcon-shot of the ships. |
▪ II. † ˈfalcon, v. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. n.] To hunt with falcons; to hawk.
| 1807 Sir R. Wilson Jrnl. 27 Aug., After dinner we went falconing. |