† sarceln.
Obsolete.
a. A pinion feather of a hawk's wing. Also sarcel feather.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Falconiformes (falcons, etc.) > family Accipitridae (hawks, etc.) > [noun] > hawk > parts of > feathers > of wing
beam-feather1486
sarcel1486
1486 Bk. St. Albans sig. bj The federis that sum call the pynyon feder, of a noder fowle, of an hawke: it is calde the Sercell.
1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 272 Within sixe or seuen dayes shee will cast..hir sarcels or flagges.
1605 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. i. v. 177 The Marline, Lanar, and the gentle-Tercell, Th' Ospray, and Saker, with a nimble Sarcell Follow the Phœnix.
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Cerceau,..the Sercell, or Sarcell (feather) of a hawkes wing.
1678 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Sercil.
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory ii. xi. 237/1 The Sarcell Feathers, are the extream pinion Feathers in the Hawks Wing.
b. figurative or in figurative context.
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1610 W. Folkingham Feuidigraphia Ep. Ded. sig. A2v Skie-towring Faulcons, whose Quills imped with strong Sarcells of the Grace of Greatnes.
1623 W. Drummond Flowres of Sion 29 My Knowledge sharpen, Sarcells lend my Thought.
a1657 G. Daniel Trinarchodia: Henry V xxxvii, in Poems (1878) IV. 110 Vnfledg'd Witt Imp't from the ragged Sarcill Chaucer drop't.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1909; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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