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Definition of peregrine falcon
peregrine falcon
Plural:peregrine falcons
peregrine falcon Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A cosmopolitan bird of prey in the family Falconidae, renowned for its incredible flight speed and characterized by a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head.
Example
"During its hunting dive, known as a stoop, the peregrine falcon can reach speeds exceeding two hundred miles per hour."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'peregrine', from Latin 'falco peregrinus' (pilgrim falcon), originally referring to the historical practice of catching these birds during their migratory passages rather than taking them from the nest.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Peregrine falcon. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/peregrine falcon