tiercel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun male hawk especially male peregrine or gyrfalcon
    tercelet; tercel.

WordNet

Tier"cel, Tierce"let noun (Also<
  • Tiercel
  • Tiercelet
)
Etymology
OE. tercel, tercelet, F. tiercelet, a dim. of (assumed) tiercel, or LL. tertiolus, dim. fr. L. tertius the third; -- so called, according to some, because every third bird in the nest is a male, or, according to others, because the male is the third part less than female. Cf. Tercel.
Definitions
  1. (Falconry) The male of various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk. Encyc. Brit.

Webster 1913