— falconine /fawl"keuh nuyn', -nin, fal"-, faw"keuh-/ , adj. — falconoid , adj.
/fawl"keuhn, fal"-, faw"keuhn/ , n.
1. any of several birds of prey of the family Falconidae, esp. of the genus Falco, usually distinguished by long, pointed wings, a hooked beak with a toothlike notch on each side of the upper bill, and swift, agile flight, typically diving to seize prey: some falcon species are close to extinction.
2. Falconry.
a. the female gyrfalcon.
b. falcon-gentle.
c. any bird of prey trained for use in falconry. Cf. tercel .
3. a small, light cannon in use from the 15th to the 17th century.
4. ( cap. ) Mil. a family of air-to-air guided missiles, some of them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
[ 1200-50; ME fauco ( u ) n, falcon faucon falcon- (s. of falco ) hawk (said to be deriv. of falx, s. falc- sickle, referring to the sicklelike talons) ]