sarcel

S1A1R1C3E1L1

noun

One of the outer pinions or feathers of the wing of a bird, especially a hawk.

OriginOld French cercel ← French cerceau ← Latin circellus →
Scrabble 8
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Meanings

nounsarcel (plural sarcels)

plural sarcels

  1. One of the outer pinions or feathers of the wing of a bird, especially a hawk.
    1 more example

    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.

    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 Pleasure of All Noblemen and Gentlemen: […], London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC, page 277

Origin

  1. Latincircellus
  2. Frenchcerceau
  3. Old Frenchcercel
  4. Englishsarcel

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

More words from Old French, French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

clearsscalerscleraCaslersarcle
Cite this entry
APA

sarcel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarcel

MLA

“sarcel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarcel. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sarcel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sarcel.

Source: sarcel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.