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kestrel

Syllabification: (kes·trel)
Pronunciation: /ˈkestrəl/
Translate kestrel | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of kestrel

noun

  • a small falcon that hovers with rapidly beating wings while searching for prey on the ground.
    • Genus Falco, family Falconidae: several species, in particular the common kestrel (F. tinnunculus) of Eurasia and Africa, and the American kestrel (F. sparverius)

Origin:

late Middle English castrel, perhaps from casserelle, dialect variant of Old French crecerelle, perhaps imitative of its call

kestrel in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of kestrel in the British & World English dictionary

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