eagle

eagle — noun

1. a big bird that hunts and eats small animals, has very sharp eyesight, a strong

1.nounA2
Definition

a big bird that hunts and eats small animals, has very sharp eyesight, a strong curved beak, and broad wings for flying high in the sky

Example

From the cliff, Yael watched an eagle circle high above the valley.

circle + location describing movement in flight

The eagle's sharp eyes could spot a rabbit from more than a kilometre away.

sharp eyes / spot + prey describing keen vision

Common collocations
  • bald eagle
  • golden eagle
  • eagle's nest
  • eagle's wings
  • eagle eye
Synonyms
  • bird of prey

    a general term for any bird that hunts animals for food; less specific than eagle

  • raptor

    a scientific term for birds of prey; broader and more formal than eagle

Common Mistakes

I saw an eagle catching a mouse in the city park.
I saw a hawk catching a mouse in the city park.
Eagles are very large birds that rarely appear in cities; hawks are smaller and more common in urban areas.

2. in golf, a score that is two shots lower than par for a particular hole

2.nounB2
Definition

in golf, a score that is two shots lower than par for a particular hole

Example

Ziad was thrilled when he scored an eagle on the ninth hole.

score an eagle on [hole number]

Wei's second shot on the par-five ninth stopped just a metre from the cup for an eagle.

eagle on a par-five hole after reaching the green in two shots

Common collocations
  • score an eagle
  • eagle putt
  • eagle chance
  • sink an eagle

Usage Note

Golf scoring term; related terms include birdie (one under par) and albatross (three under par). Often appears in compounds like 'eagle putt' or 'eagle chance.'

Common Mistakes

An eagle means you finished the hole in two strokes.
An eagle means you finished two strokes under par.
A par-five hole can be eagled with three strokes; the key measure is strokes below par, not total strokes.

eagle — verb

Word family

  • eaglet
    nounC1
  • eagle-eyed
    adjectiveC1
  • bald eagle
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all these words describe birds of prey, they differ in size, hunting style, and habitat. Eagles are the largest, with broad wings and a preference for hunting in open areas such as mountains and coastlines. Hawks are medium-sized forest hunters with shorter, rounder wings and are often seen perched on roadside poles. Falcons have long pointed wings and are known for high-speed diving attacks on other birds in flight. Vultures are scavengers that eat dead animals rather than hunting live prey, and are typically seen circling in groups. Raptor is the general scientific term for any bird of prey, covering all of the above. For example, a hiker might spot 'a golden eagle soaring over the ridge' but would describe the quick darting movement of 'a peregrine falcon diving at high speed.'

hawk ↗falcon ↗vultureraptor

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Eagle comes from Old French 'aigle', which came from Latin 'aquila', the name for this large bird of prey. The golf term 'eagle' was created in the early 1900s by extending the earlier golf term 'birdie' — since an eagle is a larger and more impressive bird, the name was used for the better score.