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mer·lin | \ ˈmər-lən 
\
\Definition of merlin
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a small compact falcon (Falco columbarius) of the northern hemisphere having a broad dark terminal band on the tail and upperparts that are slate blue in males and brown in females
Merlin
noun (2)Mer·lin | \ ˈmər-lən \
\Definition of Merlin (Entry 2 of 2)
: a prophet and magician in Arthurian legend
Examples of merlin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Emperors flew eagles and vultures; kings flew gyrfalcons; and ladies flew merlins, a species favored by Mary, Queen of Scots, in the 16th century.
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Kate Donnelly, Travel + Leisure, "Discover the Thrill of Falconry at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs," 22 Apr. 2020 There were two Northern harriers and a short-eared owl at Southwick Wildlife Management Area, a rough-legged hawk along Old Greenfield Road in Montague, two merlins along Edendale Street in Springfield, and an Eastern phoebe at the Hadley Cove.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 2 Feb. 2020 There was a merlin at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester and a Savannah sparrow was seen at the Wine Road agricultural fields in New Braintree.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 2 Feb. 2020 There were reports of 120 white-winged scoters, five Western sandpipers, three American golden-plovers, three black skimmers, and three merlins.
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BostonGlobe.com, "► Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Stow:," 23 Sep. 2019 Carey said that during October more sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, ospreys, northern harriers, bald eagles, and various species of falcons, such as peregrines, merlins, and kestrels, can be seen migrating.
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BostonGlobe.com, "“They’re power fliers. They head out over open water and island hop to Nantucket, Long Island, and so on. They’re not intimidated by water like buteos are.”," 10 Oct. 2019 Birders should also expect to see arriving winter raptors like ferruginous hawks, sharp-shinned hawks and merlin.
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Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Ladder-backed woodpecker is fond of the desert," 19 Sep. 2019 There were also five marbled godwits and two Western sandpipers on Plymouth Beach and a little blue heron and a merlin at Millennium Park in West Roxbury.
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BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings," 8 Sep. 2019 Without considering merlins' impact, the piping plover population was otherwise projected to continue rebounding to 91 pairs by 2026.
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Keith Matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Endangered piping plover's recovery may get derailed, thanks to another bird," 23 Jan. 2018
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'merlin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for merlin
The first known use of merlin was in the 13th century
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