Hypertext Webster Gateway: "eagle"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary (easton)
Eagle
(Herb. nesher; properly the griffon vulture or great vulture, so
called from its tearing its prey with its beak), referred to for
its swiftness of flight (Deut. 28:49; 2 Sam. 1:23), its mounting
high in the air (Job 39:27), its strength (Ps. 103:5), its
setting its nest in high places (Jer. 49:16), and its power of
vision (Job 39:27-30).
This "ravenous bird" is a symbol of those nations whom God
employs and sends forth to do a work of destruction, sweeping
away whatever is decaying and putrescent (Matt. 24:28; Isa.
46:11; Ezek. 39:4; Deut. 28:49; Jer. 4:13; 48:40). It is said
that the eagle sheds his feathers in the beginning of spring,
and with fresh plumage assumes the appearance of youth. To this,
allusion is made in Ps. 103:5 and Isa. 40:31. God's care over
his people is likened to that of the eagle in training its young
to fly (Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11, 12). An interesting illustration
is thus recorded by Sir Humphry Davy:, "I once saw a very
interesting sight above the crags of Ben Nevis. Two parent
eagles were teaching their offspring, two young birds, the
maneuvers of flight. They began by rising from the top of the
mountain in the eye of the sun. It was about mid-day, and bright
for the climate. They at first made small circles, and the young
birds imitated them. They paused on their wings, waiting till
they had made their flight, and then took a second and larger
gyration, always rising toward the sun, and enlarging their
circle of flight so as to make a gradually ascending spiral. The
young ones still and slowly followed, apparently flying better
as they mounted; and they continued this sublime exercise,
always rising till they became mere points in the air, and the
young ones were lost, and afterwards their parents, to our
aching sight." (See Isa. 40:31.)
There have been observed in Palestine four distinct species of
eagles, (1) the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); (2) the
spotted eagle (Aquila naevia); (3) the common species, the
imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca); and (4) the Circaetos gallicus,
which preys on reptiles. The eagle was unclean by the Levitical
law (Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Eagle \Ea"gle\, n. [OE. egle, F. aigle, fr. L. aquila; prob.
named from its color, fr. aquilus dark-colored, brown; cf.
Lith. aklas blind. Cf. {Aquiline}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any large, rapacious bird of the Falcon family,
esp. of the genera {Aquila} and {Hali[ae]etus}. The eagle
is remarkable for strength, size, graceful figure,
keenness of vision, and extraordinary flight. The most
noted species are the golden eagle ({Aquila
chrysa["e]tus}); the imperial eagle of Europe ({A.
mogilnik or imperialis}); the American bald eagle
({Hali[ae]etus leucocephalus}); the European sea eagle
({H. albicilla}); and the great harpy eagle ({Thrasaetus
harpyia}). The figure of the eagle, as the king of birds,
is commonly used as an heraldic emblem, and also for
standards and emblematic devices. See {Bald eagle},
{Harpy}, and {Golden eagle}.
2. A gold coin of the United States, of the value of ten
dollars.
3. (Astron.) A northern constellation, containing Altair, a
star of the first magnitude. See {Aquila}.
4. The figure of an eagle borne as an emblem on the standard
of the ancient Romans, or so used upon the seal or
standard of any people.
Though the Roman eagle shadow thee. --Tennyson.
Note: Some modern nations, as the United States, and France
under the Bonapartes, have adopted the eagle as their
national emblem. Russia, Austria, and Prussia have for
an emblem a double-headed eagle.
{Bald eagle}. See {Bald eagle}.
{Bold eagle}. See under {Bold}.
{Double eagle}, a gold coin of the United States worth twenty
dollars.
{Eagle hawk} (Zo["o]l.), a large, crested, South American
hawk of the genus {Morphnus}.
{Eagle owl} (Zo["o]l.), any large owl of the genus {Bubo},
and allied genera; as the American great horned owl ({Bubo
Virginianus}), and the allied European species ({B.
maximus}). See {Horned owl}.
{Eagle ray} (Zo["o]l.), any large species of ray of the genus
{Myliobatis} (esp. {M. aquila}).
{Eagle vulture} (Zo["o]l.), a large West African bid
({Gypohierax Angolensis}), intermediate, in several
respects, between the eagles and vultures.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
eagle
n 1: any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey
noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight
[syn: {bird of Jove}]
2: (in golf) a score of two strokes under par on a golf hole
3: a former gold coin in US worth 10 dollars
4: an emblem representing power; "the Roman eagle"
v : shoot in two strokes under par, of a golf hole
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