Spanish word

halcón

Pronunciation

IPA/alˈkon/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhawk

Example

El halcón cazó un ratón por la noche.

The hawk caught a mouse at night.

Illustration for halcón (hawk)

More examples

Tiene ojos de halcón y localiza presas desde lejos.

He has hawk-like eyes and locates prey from afar.

Core concept

Raptor that locates and seizes small vertebrate prey in fast flight or from lookout perches.

Common phrases

  • ojos de halcón

    hawk-like eyes

  • ver un halcón

    spot a hawk

Similar words

búho: Night-active bird of prey that hunts silently in darkness and detects prey by sound.
águila: Broad-winged, muscular raptor that dominates open airspace and captures larger vertebrates.
gavilán: Swift, maneuverable hawk of forests that pursues and takes small animals among trees.

Definition in Spanish

Ave rapaz diurna con vista aguda y vuelo rápido, que localiza y captura presas desde el aire o desde posaderos.

Word origin

The Spanish halcón comes via Old Spanish falcón from Latin falco 'sickle', a name inspired by the bird's hooked talons or beak used in capture.

Usage tips

  • In political or journalistic Spanish, halcón or los halcones is used figuratively like English 'hawk' to describe aggressive or pro-military actors, so context often signals nonliteral use.

Other meanings

  • falconnoun
  • war hawknoun

Word lists with this word