sparrowhawk

See also: sparrow hawk

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English sparhauk, sperhauk, from Old English spearhafoc, spearhabuc (“sparrow-hawk”), equivalent to sparrow +‎ hawk. Cognate with Danish spurvehøg (“sparrowhawk”), Swedish sparvhök (“sparrowhawk”), Icelandic sparrhaukur (“sparrowhawk”).

Noun

sparrowhawk (plural sparrowhawks)

  1. A Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, a small, short-winged European hawk that preys on smaller birds.
    1. (falconry) A female such bird, a male being a musket.
  2. Any of numerous other relatively small birds of Old World species of Accipiter, that prey on smaller birds or otherwise resemble A. nisus.
  3. Alternative form of sparrow hawk; American kestrel, Falco sparverius, of similar size and habit.

Derived terms
terms derived from sparrowhawk

Translations
Eurasian sparrowhawk — see Eurasian sparrowhawk

Further reading
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