peregrine falcon

noun

: a swift nearly cosmopolitan falcon (Falco peregrinus) often used in falconry

called also peregrine

Illustration of peregrine falcon

Examples of peregrine falcon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Roskilde’s stately cathedral stands solemn and proud—its royal tombs steeped in centuries of candlelit reverence—while chalk-white Møns Klint plunges into the deep Baltic blue, where fossil hunters comb the shore and peregrine falcons wheel overhead. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Like the peregrine falcon, the cheetah, and the red ant, the mako is the quintessence of the species. —Pat Smith, Outdoor Life, 24 July 2025

Moose browse along the Colville River, the largest river on the North Slope, while peregrine falcons, gyrfalcons and rough-legged hawks nest on the cliffs above. —Mariah Meek, The Conversation, 30 June 2025

In the park’s higher elevations, peregrine falcons soar over 6,000-plus-foot Appalachian peaks, and blooming rhododendrons decorate mountaintop balds. —Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English faukon peregryn, from Medieval Latin falco peregrinus, literally, pilgrim falcon; from the young being captured wandering from their nests, which were too inaccessible to reach easily

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for peregrine falcon

• alkyne
• malkin

Kids Definition

peregrine falcon

noun

per·​e·​grine falcon

ˈper-ə-grən-,

-ˌgrēn-

: a dark swift widely distributed falcon that can be tamed and trained to hunt game

called also peregrine