kestrel Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun small North American falcon
    sparrow hawk; American kestrel; Falco sparverius.
  2. noun small Old World falcon that hovers in the air against a wind
    Falco tinnunculus.

WordNet

Kes"trel noun
Etymology
See Castrel.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A small, slender European hawk (Falco alaudarius), allied to the sparrow hawk. Its color is reddish fawn, streaked and spotted with white and black. Also called windhover and stannel. The name is also applied to other allied species. ✍ This word is often used in contempt, as of a mean kind of hawk. "Kites and kestrels have a resemblance with hawks." Bacon.

Webster 1913