Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A kestrel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A kind of hawk, the kestrel, Falco tinunculus or Tinnunculus alaudarius: so called from its hovering in the face of the wind. See kestrel. Also called windbibber, windcuffer, windfanner, windhawk, windsucker, vanner-hawk, staniel, etc.

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

  • noun (Zoöl.), Prov. Eng. The kestrel; -- called also windbibber, windcuffer, windfanner.

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

  • noun UK The common kestrel.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

wind +‎ hover, due to this bird’s habit of beating the wind (hovering), compare earlier windfucker. First recorded 1674.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word windhover.

Examples

  • This beautiful picture of a flying kestrel, or windhover, is courtesy of the folks at Stanford University: www. stanford.edu/~petelat1/kestrel. jpg

    Archive 2005-09-01 2005

  • This beautiful picture of a flying kestrel, or windhover, is courtesy of the folks at Stanford University: www. stanford.edu/~petelat1/kestrel. jpg

    The Windhover 2005

  • The novelist Nicholas Royle would be heartbroken if the "windhover" were to vanish.

    Where have all the kestrels gone? 2010

  • But from April onwards, as the air temperature rises, these beautiful falcons rise up again, amply justifying their wonderful folk-name, the windhover, made famous by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins.

    Birdwatch: Kestrel 2011

  • Yes, it is, and from this habit it has got the name of windhover; the outspread tail is suspended and the head always points in the direction of the wind.

    Country Walks of a Naturalist with His Children W. Houghton

  • If it were really an enemy to the dovecot, we should see the pigeons in commotion as soon as it begins its evening flight; but the pigeons heed it not: whereas if the sparrow-hawk or windhover should make their appearance, the whole community would be up at once, proof sufficient that the barn owl is not looked upon as a bad, or even a suspicious, character by the inhabitants of the dovecot.

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 19, No. 530, January 21, 1832 Various

  • The kestrel, or windhover, has a peculiar mode of hanging in the air in one place, his wings all the while being briskly agitated.

    MacMillan's Reading Books Book V Anonymous

  • The kestrel is the bird known in England as the windhover, on account of its habit of hovering in mid-air on rapidly-vibrating wings before pouncing on the lizard or other small fry, for which it is ever on the watch.

    Birds of the Indian Hills Douglas Dewar 1916

  • Moors an 'moors an' moors, wi 'never a tree for shelter, an' gray houses wi 'flagstone rooves, and pewits cryin', an 'a windhover goin' to and fro just like these kites.

    Life's Handicap Rudyard Kipling 1900

  • Moors an 'moors an' moors, wi 'never a tree for shelter, an' grey houses wi 'flagstone rooves, and pewits cryin', an 'a windhover goin' to and fro just like these kites.

    Indian Tales Rudyard Kipling 1900

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.