eagle

1 of 2

noun

ea·​gle ˈē-gəl How to pronounce eagle (audio)
1
: any of various large diurnal birds of prey (family Accipitridae) noted for their strength, size, keenness of vision, and powers of flight
2
a
: the eagle-bearing standard of the ancient Romans
b
: one of a pair of eagle-bearing silver insignia of rank worn by a military colonel or a navy captain
3
: a gold coin of the U.S. bearing an eagle on the reverse and usually having a value of ten dollars
4
: a golf score of two strokes less than par on a hole compare birdie
5
capitalized [Fraternal Order of Eagles] : a member of a major fraternal order

eagle

2 of 2

verb

eagled; eagling ˈē-g(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce eagle (audio)

transitive verb

: to score an eagle on (a golf hole)

Examples of eagle in a Sentence

Noun She made an eagle on the fourth hole. She made eagle on the fourth hole. Verb She eagled the fourth hole.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The roller coaster final round Rory McIlroy put together was the talk of the Masters, but Patrick Reed’s eagle on the 17th hole may have been the underrated moment in the waning hours. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The 35-year-old Irishman set a record Saturday with five consecutive 3’s to start his round which included an eagle 3 chip-in on the par 5 second hole. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
Charlie started the second round on a high note, eagling his first hole of the day. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025 Reed tried to make up ground with two birdies on the back nine, but Ortiz left no doubt, eagling the 12th and birdieing the 18th to sign his second career victory on the Asian Tour's International Series (2024 event in Oman). Kevin Sabet, Newsweek, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for eagle

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English egle, from Anglo-French egle, aigle, from Latin aquila

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eagle was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eagle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eagle. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

eagle

noun
ea·​gle
ˈē-gəl
1
: any of various large day-flying sharp-eyed birds of prey with a powerful flight that are related to the hawks
2
: a seal or standard shaped like or bearing an eagle
3
: a 10-dollar gold coin of the U.S.
4
: a golf score of two strokes less than par on a hole

More from Merriam-Webster on eagle

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