accipiter

noun

ac·​cip·​i·​ter ak-ˈsi-pə-tər 

ik-

: any of a genus (Accipiter) of medium-sized forest-inhabiting hawks that have short broad wings and a long tail and a characteristic flight pattern of several quick flaps and a glide

accipitrine

ak-ˈsi-pə-ˌtrīn 

ik-

adjective or noun

Examples of accipiter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These hawks are accipiters: raptors evolved specifically to hunt in the woodland canopy. —Dave Taft, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017

All accipiters, including the sharp-shinned hawk, and its close relative the Cooper’s hawk, have distinctive flight patterns that are useful in identifying them, even at a distance. —Dave Taft, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Latin, "hawk, falcon," altered (probably by assimilation to accipere "to grasp, take, accept") from pre-Latin *acu-petri- "having swift wings," from *acu- (akin to Latin ōcior "swifter," Greek ōkýs "swift") + *petri- (akin to Sanskrit patram "wing, feather") — more at feather entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

accipiter

noun

ac·​cip·​i·​ter ak-ˈsip-ət-ər 

: any of various low-flying hawks that have short wings and long tails