sarcel

English

Etymology

From Old French cercel, French cerceau, Latin circellus, diminutive of circulus. See circle.

Noun

sarcel (plural sarcels)

1. One of the outer pinions or feathers of the wing of a bird, especially a hawk.
   • 1575, George Turberuile [i.e.. George Turberville], “The Way and Manner, Howe to Ympe a Hawkes Feather, Howsoeuer It be Broken or Broosed”, in The Booke of Faulconrie or Hauking, for the Onely Delight and Plerasure of All Noblemen and Gentlemen: […], London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, page 277:

     If a ſarcell, or other feathers be broken aboue the quyll, towards the poynt of yͤ fethers twoo or three fingers bredth, you muſt cut it off with a ſharpe penknife, aſlope, and (as they ſay) a ſwaſhe, ⁊ then take another feather to the ſame, cutting it in like manner, as you did the other, ſo as it may fitte with yͤ ſame feather, both for length and cutte.

Related terms

• sarcelled
• sarcelly

Further reading

• “sarcel”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Casler, Clares, carles, clears, lacers, sarcle, scaler, sclera