n.
A small falcon (Falco columbarius) of northern regions, having predominantly dark plumage and a black-striped tail. Also called pigeon hawk.
[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman merilun, from Old French esmerillon, diminutive of esmeril, of Germanic origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
