tercelet

English

Alternative forms

• tiercelet

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English tercelet, from Old French tercelet; equivalent to tiercel +‎ -et.

Noun

tercelet (plural tercelets)

1. A male falcon, especially a peregrine falcon or goshawk; a tiercel.
   • 1999, Geoffrey Lester, Chaucer in Perspective: Middle English Essays, page 110:

     In the Squire's Tale this is expressed in avian terms when the tercelet flies off with a kite;

Anagrams

• electret

Middle English

Alternative forms

• tarcelet, tarcellet, tercellet, terselet, terslet

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French tercelet; equivalent to tercel +‎ -et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛrsəˈlɛt/, /ˈtɛrs(ə)lɛt/, /ˈtars(ə)lɛt/

Noun

tercelet (plural tercelettes)

1. tercelet (male bird of prey)

   Synonym: tercel

   • 1387–1400, [Geoffrey] Chaucer, “The Squiers Tale”, in The Tales of Caunt́bury (Hengwrt Chaucer; Peniarth Manuscript 392D), Aberystwyth, Ceredigion: National Library of Wales, published [c. 1400–1410], →OCLC, folio 135, recto:

     Tho dwelte a tercelet / me faſte by /That semed welle / of alle gentilleſſe

     There flew a tercelet close by me / which seemed full of graciousness.

Descendants

• English: tercelet

References

• “tercelet, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.