Adjacent Words

Gyrfalcon definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GYR'FALCON, n. [L. hierofalco, from Gr. sacred, and falco, and so named from the veneration of the Egyptians for hawks.
A species of Falco, or hawk.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: large and rare Arctic falcon having white and dark color phases [syn: gyrfalcon, gerfalcon, Falco rusticolus]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English gerfaucun, from Anglo-French girfauc, girfaucon, probably from gir vulture (from Old High German g?r) + faucon falcon Date: 14th century an arctic falcon (Falco rusticolus) that occurs in several color forms and is the largest of all falcons

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (also gerfalcon) a large falcon, Falco rusticolus, of the northern hemisphere. Etymology: ME f. OF gerfaucon f. Frank. gerfalco f. ON geirfálki: see FALCON

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gyrfalcon Gyr"fal`con, n. [OE. gerfaucon, OF. gerfaucon, LL. gyrofalco, perh. fr. L. gyrus circle + falco falcon, and named from its circling flight; or cf. E. gier-eagle. See Gyre, n., Falcon.] (Zo["o]l.) One of several species and varieties of large Arctic falcons, esp. Falco rusticolus and the white species F. Islandicus, both of which are circumpolar. The black and the gray are varieties of the former. See Illust. of Accipiter. [Written also gerfalcon, gierfalcon, and jerfalcon.]