gerfalcon

9.9

A large rare Arctic falcon with white or dark feathers

noun
/ˈjɜrˌfɔːkən/

: gerifalte

Medieval falconers prized the rare gerfalcon for its strength and beauty.

Examples

The Arctic tundra is home to the magnificent gerfalcon during the breeding season.
The gerfalcon is known for its striking appearance.
A white gerfalcon flew low over the icy cliffs in search of prey.
I saw a gerfalcon soaring above the tundra.
The gerfalcon is known for its striking white plumage during the winter months.
In the Arctic tundra, a gerfalcon can be seen hunting for prey high above the ground.
Wildlife enthusiasts traveled to the Arctic to witness the rare and majestic gerfalcon in its natural habitat.

Synonyms

gyrfalcon

vsgerfalcon

1 9.9

A very large, rare bird of prey from Arctic regions, often white or gray

focuses on white and dark color phases rather than size claim

Falco rusticolus

vsgerfalcon

Specialized

9.9

A large rare falcon from the Arctic often white or dark

is the common English name for the identical species

Surface Forms

gerfalcon singular

gerfalcons plural

Morphology

gerfalcon = falcon (semi-transparent) = ger + falcon

The element 'falcon' clearly indicates it's a type of falcon, but 'ger' is not a productive or meaningful English morpheme for learners, so the modifier is opaque.

Etymology

Gerfalcon comes from Old French gerfaucon, which in turn came from Old Norse gyrfalcon, a name for the big northern bird. You can see the familiar word falcon inside it, so the name reminds us it is a large, rare Arctic falcon.