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Glite Dictionary
American eagle

American eagle

1 3.0
A large North American bird with a white head and dark body that often eats fish
  • noun
  • /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈiɡəl/
  • US
: águila americana
  • To avoid an all-out trade war, the American eagle and the Chinese dragon must learn to respect differences and look for common ground in resolving disputes.

The, the, the American eagle is a Fisher eagle.

Examples

  • Critic James Agee wrote of the film, "I noticed, uneasily, that there were no suffering and dying enemy civilians under all those proud promises of bombs; no civilians at all, in fact." In the closing scene, the battle is between an American eagle and an octopus with its tentacles gripping a map.

    Academic text (2005)

  • I spotted an American eagle soaring high above the lake, its distinctive white head glistening in the sun.

  • The American eagle is a symbol of strength and freedom in the United States, often seen in various national emblems.

  • During our hike, we were thrilled to catch a glimpse of an American eagle nesting in the tall pine trees.

Synonyms

bald eagle
vsAmerican eagle
  • US
12 2.9

A large North American bird with a white head and tail and dark brown body, symbol of the United States

is an alternative general name used in everyday speech
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
vsAmerican eagle
  • Specialized
9.9

A large North American eagle with a white head and tail and a dark body

is the everyday common-language name rather than the technical label

Surface Forms

American eagle singular
American eagles plural

Morphology

American + eagle

The meaning is directly compositional: 'American' specifies origin/association and 'eagle' names the bird, so the phrase denotes an eagle from (or associated with) America. This follows standard adjective + noun composition found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the intended referent.

Etymology

American eagle is the common name for a large North American bird with a white head and dark body, often called the 'bald eagle'. The word eagle makes you think of a powerful bird that soars high and catches fish, so people chose it to stand for 'freedom' in the United States.