sparrowhawk

Meaning

1. A Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, a small, short-winged European hawk that preys on smaller birds.
2. A Eurasian sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, a small, short-winged European hawk that preys on smaller birds.
3. Any of numerous other relatively small birds of Old World species of Accipiter, that prey on smaller birds or otherwise resemble A. nisus.
4. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of sparrow hawk; American kestrel, Falco sparverius, of similar size and habit.

Synonyms

sparrow hawk

Eurasian sparrowhawk

hawk

sparrow-hawk

spar-hawk

Translations

épervier

Sperber

Accipiter nisus

sparviero

gavilán

sperwer

esparver

épervier d’Europe

esparvièr

émouchet

valk

ξεφτέρι

accipiter

bayağı atmaca

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: sparhauk

Inherited from Old English: spearhafoc

Cognate with Danish: spurvehøg

Cognate with Swedish: sparvhök

Cognate with Icelandic: sparrhaukur

In summary

From Middle English sparhauk, sperhauk, from Old English spearhafoc, spearhabuc (“sparrow-hawk”), from Proto-West Germanic *sparwahabuk, from Proto-Germanic *sparwahabukaz, equivalent to sparrow + hawk. Cognate with Danish spurvehøg (“sparrowhawk”), Swedish sparvhök (“sparrowhawk”), Icelandic sparrhaukur (“sparrowhawk”).