| 释义 |
▪ 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.
a1250Owl & Night. 101 That other ȝer a faukun bredde. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 34 Fecche þe hom Faucons þe Foules to quelle. 1432–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 335 Sparre⁓howke, ffawken, and gentille gossehawke. 1605Shakes. Macb. ii. iv. 12 A Faulcon towring in her pride of place. 1653Walton Angler i. (1655) 11 It [Air] stops not the high soaring of my noble generous Falcon. 1735Somerville Chase iii. 94 As stoops the Falcon bold To pounce his Prey. a1839Praed Poems (1864) I. 213 He laid a bet upon his falcon's flight. 1868Wood Homes without H. xxix. 561 The Great Grey Shrike was formerly used as a falcon.
b. with epithet defining the species.
1525Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xlvi, By comparyson as fawcons pelegrines. 1678Ray Willughby's Ornith. 79 It is said to be lesser than a Peregrine Falcon. 1781Latham Hist. Birds I. 54 White-rumped Bay Falcon. 1785Pennant Arct. Zool. II. 208 Plain Falcon. 1802G. Montagu Ornith. Dict. 537 White Falcon, a name for the Jer Falcon. 1821Selby Brit. Ornith. i. 39 Spotted Falcon: a name for the Peregrine Falcon. 1875W. McIlwraith Guide Wigtownshire, These cliffs are frequented by the Peregrine falcon.
2. A representation of a falcon.
1525in Glasscock Rec. St. Michael's Bp. Stortford (1882) 39 For the scoryng..the facon and the branche before seynt mighill xiiijd. 1589Hakluyt 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.] 1496Ld. Bothwell in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 13. I. 31 Y⊇ provision of Ordinance..is bot litill..ij. great curtaldis..x. falconis or litill serpentinis. 1577–87Harrison England, ii. xvi. (1877) 281 Falcon hath eight hundred pounds, and two inches and a half within the mouth. 1663Flagellum; or O. Cromwell (1672) 103 Two demy Culverings..two Falcons. 1805Scott Last Minstr. iv. xx, Falcon and culver on each tower. 1849J. 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.
1847Tennyson Princ. ii. 26 A quick brunette, well-moulded, *falcon-eyed.
1891M. M. Dowie Girl in Karp. xiii. 171 He had the genuine ‘*falcon-face’ of the Huculs.
1759tr. Adanson's Voy. Senegal in Pinkerton Voy. (1814) XVI. 649 The *falcon-fisher..is a bird about the bigness of a goose.
a1835Mrs. Hemans Poems, Indian with dead Child, The arrows of my father's bow Their *falcon-flight have sped.
1889R. B. Anderson tr. Rydberg's Teut. Mythol. 60 In the Norse mythology..Freyja had a *falcon-guise. a1649Drummond of Hawthornden Elegy G. Adolphus Wks. (1711) 54 With full plum'd wing thou *faulkon-like could fly. 1852Reade Peg Woff. (1853) 88 To see her falcon-like stoop upon the stage.
1814Scott Ld. of Isles iv. viii, Canna's tower..Like *falcon-nest o'erhung the bay.
1598Barret Theor. Warres v. iii. 134, 2 thousand *Falcon shot. 1600Hakluyt 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.
1807Sir R. Wilson Jrnl. 27 Aug., After dinner we went falconing. |