Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun See tercel, tercelet.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Falconry) The male of various falcons, esp. of the peregrine; also, the male of the goshawk.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A male hawk or falcon, used in falconry.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun male hawk especially male peregrine or gyrfalcon

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle French terçuel, from Late Latin tertiolus, the diminutive of Latin tertius ("third"). Sources disagree whether the connection is that the males of most species of birds of prey favoured in falconry are smaller than the females by about a third, or whether it refers to the supposition that only one egg in three yields a male.

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Examples

  • “Báz” (here Richardson is wrong s.v.); a term to a certain extent generic, but specially used for the noble Peregrine (F. Peregrinator) whose tiercel is the

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • I spend way too much time doing physical conditioning with my tiercel goshawk, but the result is a bird that knows it can smoke any quarry he's programmed to chase.

    Working Like a Dog 2007

  • My Gyr- Prairie tiercel was stolen this spring and so far possible replacements have fallen through partially because breeders failed, partly because of penury.

    Gyr 2007

  • He was wrapped in a towel on my lap -- the towel slipped and his tiny tiercel foot was suddenly embedded in the meaty part of my thigh... can an eagle take down a wolf?

    Colonel Cooper and Wolves 2006

  • A few years back, a friend of mine's tiercel Peregrine died from a yellowjacket sting to the face.

    Giant Yellowjacket Nests 2006

  • Back in 2002 I imprinted my tiercel gos on the 8th floor of the Wachovia bank building in the uptown area of Albuquerque.

    Working Like a Dog 2006

  • He said a message took three pigeons because of the ubiquitous Peregrines there: "One for the falcon, one for the tiercel, and one for the film".

    Archive 2006-08-01 2006

  • Ince flies a mature tiercel male peregrine successfully at snipe, dove and quail, some of the toughest quarries any trained falcon catches.

    Archive 2006-02-01 2006

  • Ince flies a mature tiercel male peregrine successfully at snipe, dove and quail, some of the toughest quarries any trained falcon catches.

    Good Press! 2006

  • He said a message took three pigeons because of the ubiquitous Peregrines there: "One for the falcon, one for the tiercel, and one for the film".

    Spy Pigeons-- the Good, the Bad, and... 2006

Comments

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  • "'I believe so,' said Martin, shading his eye. 'A tiercel. Lewin says they occur in New Holland.'"

    --Patrick O'Brian, The Nutmeg of Consolation, 352

    And may I add with what I hope is evident delight, "Oh my GOD, I found a bird that reesetee hasn't already listed!!!!"

    March 9, 2008

  • Haha! Congratulations!

    That's because it describes only the male. I haven't gotten quite that specific yet.

    Hmm.... :-)

    March 10, 2008