tercelet

9.9

A male hawk, especially a peregrine or gyrfalcon

noun
/ˈtɜrslɪt/

Archaic

: tercelet

The falconer trained the tercelet to return at the sound of her whistle.

Examples

It was rare to see a wild tercelet hunting on its own in this region.
The tercelet soared high above the valley.
Renaissance nobles often prized the tercelet for its agility during falconry contests.
Look at that tercelet!
Renaissance nobles often prized the tercelet for its agility during falconry contests.
The falconer trained the tercelet to return at the sound of her whistle.
It was rare to see a wild tercelet hunting on its own in this region.

Synonyms

tiercel

vstercelet

Specialized

1 9.9

A male hawk, usually a peregrine or gyrfalcon

is the standard modern spelling for the same meaning

tercel

vstercelet

Archaic

9.9

A male hawk such as a peregrine or gyrfalcon

is the fuller traditional form with identical sense

Surface Forms

tercelet singular

tercelets plural

Morphology

tercelet = tercel (opaque) = tercel + et

Although formally 'tercel' + diminutive '-et', both the base and formation are rare/archaic technical terms, so the relation is not helpful for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Tercelet comes from an old word tertius meaning 'third', because male hawks were often noticed to be about 'one-third' smaller than females. So, a tercelet is the male hawk, and the 'third' idea helps you remember that it means the smaller bird.