sparrowhawk
See also: sparrow hawk
English
Alternative forms
- sparrow-hawk, sparrow hawk, sparhawk, spar-hawk
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)
- The Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, a small, short-winged European hawk that preys on smaller birds.
- Any of numerous other species of Accipiter, that prey on smaller birds or otherwise resemble A. nisus.
- Alternative form of sparrow hawk; the American kestrel, Falco sparverius.
Derived terms
terms derived from sparrowhawk
Translations
Eurasian sparrowhawk — see Eurasian sparrowhawk
any of many other species of Accipiter
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Further reading
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