tiercel

noun

tier·​cel ˈtir-səl 

variants or tercel

ˈtər-səl 

: a male hawk

especially : a male peregrine falcon

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tercel, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *tertiolus, from diminutive of Latin tertius third; probably from the fact that the male is about one third smaller than the female

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above