Find the word definition

Crossword clues for accipiter

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Accipiter

Accipiter \Ac*cip"i*ter\, n.; pl. E. Accipiters. L. Accipitres. [L., hawk.]

  1. (Zo["o]l.) A genus of rapacious birds; one of the Accipitres or Raptores.

  2. (Surg.) A bandage applied over the nose, resembling the claw of a hawk.

Wiktionary
accipiter

n. 1 (context ornithology English) Any hawk of the genus ''Accipiter''. 2 (context medical surgery English) A bandage applied over the nose, resembling the claw of a hawk.

WordNet
Wikipedia
Accipiter

__NOTOC__

Accipiter is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. The genus name is Latin for "hawk", from accipere, "to grasp".

Many species are named as goshawks and sparrowhawks, although the American sparrowhawk, now more commonly known as the American kestrel is a falcon and not in this genus. They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large procoracoid foramen and are also distinct as regards DNA sequence. They may warrant separation in the old genus Hieraspiza.

Extant accipiters range in size from the little sparrowhawk (A. minullus), in which the smallest males measure long, span across the wings and weigh , to the northern goshawk (A. gentilis), in which the largest females measure long, span across the wings, and weigh . These birds are slender with short, broad, rounded wings and a long tail which helps them maneuver in flight. They have long legs and long, sharp talons used to kill their prey, and a sharp, hooked bill used in feeding. Females tend to be larger than males. They often ambush their prey, mainly small birds and mammals, capturing them after a short chase. The typical flight pattern is a series of flaps followed by a short glide. They are commonly found in wooded or shrubby areas.

Usage examples of "accipiter".

As soon as the rest of the century had disembarked, he had ordered the corvus bridge pulled in and Accipiter slid back from the dark island, the oars barely splashing in the still seawaters.

He longed to be back at sea in Accipiter, but Paulus had insisted, even demanding four of the legionaries to stay with him permanently as guards.

Promotions would have to be made, but they couldn't replace twenty-seven dead in the fighting, fourteen of them competent hastati who had served on Accipiter for more than ten years.

He would have Cabera look at it back on Accipiter, but he didn't think it was broken.

The shallow draught had little bite in the water, and even with the twin steering oars, Accipiter lumbered through changes in direction.

At least from that vantage point, Julius could feel Accipiter was a ship designed for battle, if not speed.

Julius supposed he was happy enough with the light duties on Accipiter as he waited to retire and be dropped off at a legion near Rome to collect his outstanding pay.

In the meantime, Accipiter is a little heavy and slow, but so am I and she's twice my age.

Over it would come the best fighters on Accipiter, smashing into the pirates as fast as possible to make a space where the rest could jump on board.

Caught as they were against the coast, there was little the pirate ship could do to avoid Accipiter as she surged forward, and a cheer went up from the Romans, the boredom of slow travel from port to port disappearing in the freshening breeze.

She was taller and narrower than Accipiter and carried a long bronze spike off the prow that Julius knew could punch through even the heavy cedar planking of the Roman ships.

They struck the enemy deck with cracks that could be heard on Accipiter, and the legionaries working the catapults cheered as they wound them back again.

In boarding, they were more of a hindrance than a help, but with Accipiter caught between two ships that were moving into arrow range, they would be needed desperately.

The strokes were clumsy, but it was faster than simply having them raised clear while the other side brought Accipiter round.

They were all chained to their benches, and if Accipiter went down, so did they.