eyrie

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by 86.145.59.246 (talk) as of 16:00, 29 September 2019.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

WOTD – 26 May 2012

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English eire, aire, from Old French aire or Medieval Latin aeria. Old French aire, in the sense of an eagle's nest, may have derived from Latin ager, or may less likely be related to the other senses, ultimately from Latin ārea.

Pronunciation

  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 333: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈɪəɹi/, /ˈɛəɹi/, /ˈaɪɹi/
  • Lua error in Module:parameters at line 333: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈɛɹi/, /ˈɪɹi/, /ˈaɪɹi/
  • Audio (AU):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛəri

Noun

eyrie (plural eyries)

  1. A bird of prey's nest.
    • 1943, Casey A. Wood, F. Marjorie Fyfe, “How to reach the eyrie”, in The Art of Falconry, volume 2, translation of original by Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, →ISBN, page 129:
      The methods employed to ascend to the nest of a bird of prey depend, in each instance, upon its site. If the nest is in a tree, a man can climb up and, having put the young ones in a basket, carry them home. If, however, the eyrie is built in the fissure of a lofty rock, a man is secured to the end of a rope and descends or is lowered from the rim of the mountain or cliff to the level of the hollow in which the eyrie is built and, entering, lifts the bird from the nest.
  2. Any high and remote but commanding place.

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=eyrie&oldid=54422683"