rooivalk, noun
/ˈrɔɪfalk/
- Origin:
- Afrikaans, South African DutchShow more Afrikaans, earlier South African Dutch roodevalk, rooi red + valk hawk, falcon.
1. obsolete. Also roode valk. The rock kestrel Falco tinnunculus of the Falconidae, named for the deep red colour of its plumage.
c1808 C. von Linné System of Nat. Hist. VIII. 74Mountain Kestrel, This species is very common in the colony of the Cape, where it is called roode valk [printed rooge valk], red falcon, or steen valk, rock-falcon.
2. Military. Always with initial capital. A sophisticated combat helicopter with a very low vibration level, developed initially for the South African Air Force. Also attributive.
1991 Natal Mercury 2 Apr. 1The Rooivalk was originally designed for the SAAF which needed a helicopter ground attack capability to counter Soviet equipment used by MPLA and Cuban forces in Angola.
1994 T. Ralston in Flying Springbok Apr. 118Just like a Rooivalk helicopter, it’s a precision, high performance machine that links you to its soul.
Chrome
Firefox
Internet Explorer
Safari