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

The peregrine falcon, the world’s fastest bird once pushed to the brink of extinction in the United States, has recovered enough to be taken off the endangered species list. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Mount Olympus is also home to 30 species of mammals and 100 species of birds, with birdwatchers spotting golden eagles, peregrine falcons, and hawks soaring above the mountain’s peak. — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

With an ecosystem as capricious as this, the local wildlife is born and bred to go with the flow—think gentle-but-giant humpback whales, colonies of industrious beavers, and torpedoing peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on Earth. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Aug. 2026

Dunmoyer’s is the first petition to delist an animal since the peregrine falcon, which was removed in 2009, said Melissa Miller-Henson, executive director of the Fish and Game Commission. — Bay City News, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2026

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