Meanings
nounwindhover (plural windhovers)
plural windhovers
- UKThe common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).First known use 1674
Synonyms: kestrel, staniel, windfucker, windsucker
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).
Origin
From wind + hover, due to the bird’s habit of hovering by beating the wind with its wings; compare windfucker (attested earlier).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
windhover. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/windhover
MLA
“windhover.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/windhover. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “windhover,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/windhover.
Source: windhover on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.