Obs. Also 4–5 formaylle, 7 formale, fore-male. [a. F. formel adj. (see FORMAL), which occurs in faucon formel, and latinized as formelus in a letter of Magnus of Norway to Edward I., as an epithet applied to hawks. As the female hawk was greatly superior for purposes of sport, the sense of formel in this application may be ‘regular,’ ‘proper’ (see FORMAL a.).

1

  Cf. F. forme, ‘a term of Hawking, the female of a bird of prey that gives its name to the species’ (Littré).]

2

  The female of the eagle or the hawk. Also attrib.

3

c. 1381.  Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 370.

        Benygnely to chese or for to take
By hir acord his formel or his make.
  But to the poynt,—Nature held on hir honde
A formel egle, of shap the gentileste
That ever she a-mong hire werkes fond.

4

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 4003.

        I salle neuer …
ffawkone ne formaylle appone fiste handille.

5

a. 1605.  Montgomerie, Misc. Poems, xviii. 38.

          Quhilks vhen they sau they wroght in vane,
The formels fair auay they fure.

6

1616.  Surfl. & Markh., Country Farme, 712. Of Merlins there are both male and female: the male is called the Iack Merlin, and is as the male of other Hawkes, a great deale lesse than the female, and indeed are so very little, that they are of very small or no vse: the female is called the formale, and being much larger, valiant, and full of courage, they will sley the Partridge all Summer long.

7

1674.  N. Cox, Gentl. Recreat., II. (1677), 215. If you will flie with a Merlin at a Partridge, chuse the Formal, which is the Female. The Jack is not worth the Training.

8

1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, II. 239/1. Fore-Male, the term given to all Females of Hawks.

9