gyrfalcon noun. ['dʒǝ:fɔ:(l)k(ǝ)n, -fɒlk(ǝ)n] Also gerfalcon, jerfalcon, gierfalcon, etc. ME.
[Old French gerfaucon (mod. gerfaut) from Frankish (German Gerfalke) = Old Norse geirfálki, prob. from Old High German gêr spear: see FALCON. Spelling gyr- by false etym. from Latin gyrare GYRATE verb.]
Orig., any large falcon, esp. one used to fly at herons. Now, a heavy, powerful falcon, Falco rusticolus, of cold northerly regions, occurring in a wide range of colour forms from almost pure white to dark brown.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲