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A falling on and seizing, as the prey of a rapacious bird; the act of swooping. The eagle fell, . . . and carried away a whole litter of cubs at a swoop. L'Estrange.

A male hawk or eagle; a tiercelet. Chaucer.

Showing the back; as, the eagle tergant. [Written also tergiant.]

absence, tharray, thegle, thend, thingot, etc., are found for the absence, the array, the eagle, the end, etc.

To seize, pull, and tear prey, as a hawk does. [Obs.] Even as an empty eagle, sharp by fast, Tires with her beak on feathers, flesh, and bone. Shak. Ye dregs of baseness, vultures among men, That tire upon the hearts of generous spirits. B. Jonson.

Track; trace. [Obs.] Efface all tract of its traduction. Sir T. Browne. But flies an eagle flight, bold, and forthon, Leaving no tract behind. Shak.

To take fast hold of; to seize and hold firmly; to pounce upon. [Obs.] Who trussing me as eagle doth his prey. Spenser.

To divest of scales; to remove scales from. [An eagle] purging and unscaling her long-abused sight at the fountain itself of heavenly radiance. Milton.

Represented as flying, or having the wings spread; as, an eagle volant. Volant piece (Anc. Armor), an adjustable piece of armor, for guarding the throat, etc., in a joust.

ertaining to a vulture; resembling a vulture in qualities or looks; as, the vulturine sea eagle (Gypohierax Angolensis); vulturine rapacity. The vulturine nose, which smells nothing but corruption, is no credit to its possessor. C. Kingsley.

To expose to the air; to air; to season by exposure to air. [An eagle] soaring through his wide empire of the air To weather his broad sails. Spenser. This gear lacks weathering. Latimer.

attenuate; -- said of certain birds. See Illust. of Wood hoopoe, under Wood. Wedge-tailed eagle, an Australian eagle (Aquila audax) which feeds on various small species of kangaroos, and on lambs; -- called also mountain eagle, bold eagle, and eagle hawk. -- Wedge-tailed gull, an arctic gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in wh…

rition; as, to whet a knife. The mower whets his scythe. Milton. Here roams the wolf, the eagle whets his beak. Byron.

as, to have or get the whip hand of a person. Dryden. -- Whip ray (Zoöl.), the European eagle ray. See under Ray. -- Whip roll (Weaving), a roll or bar, behind the reeds in a loom, on which the warp threads rest. -- Whip scorpion (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of arachnids belonging to Thelyphonus and allied…

Prov. Eng.] -- Whistling duck. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden-eye. (b) A tree duck. -- Whistling eagle (Zoöl.), a small Australian eagle (Haliastur sphenurus); -- called also whistling hawk, and little swamp eagle. -- Whistling plover. (Zoöl.) (a) The golden plover. (b) The black- bellied, or gray, plover. -- Whistling snip…

strich, auk, etc., the wings are used only as an assistance in running or swimming. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings. Deut. xxxii. 11.