peregrine
noun /ˈperɪɡrɪn/
/ˈperɪɡrɪn/
(also peregrine falcon)
- a grey and white bird of prey (= a bird that kills other creatures for food) that can be trained to hunt for sportTopics Birdsc2Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin peregrinus ‘foreign’, from peregre ‘abroad’, from per- ‘through’ + ager ‘field’. The falcon's name is a translation of the modern Latin taxonomic name, literally ‘pilgrim falcon’, because falconers' birds were caught fully grown on migration, not taken from the nest.