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accipiter

noun
ac·​cip·​i·​ter | \ ak-ˈsi-pə-tər How to pronounce accipiter (audio) , ik-\

Definition of accipiter

: 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
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Other Words from accipiter

accipitrine \ -​ˈsi-​pə-​ˌtrīn How to pronounce accipitrine (audio) \ 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, "Little Terror of the Flyway," 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, "Little Terror of the Flyway," 19 Oct. 2017

First Known Use of accipiter

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for accipiter

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

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rambunctious

play

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