An owl of the species Tyto alba, often having a white face and commonly found in barns and other farm buildings.
A bird of prey of the family Accipitridae.
A rider who is good at climbs but less good at descents.
A measure of weight equivalent to ¹⁄₁₀ deben (about 0.32 ounces or 9.1 grams).
A lightweight toy or other device, traditionally flat and shaped like a triangle with a segment of a circle attached to its base or like a quadrilateral (see sense 9), carried on the wind and tethered and controlled from the ground by one or more lines.
An aeroplane or aircraft.
A bird of the genus Elanus, having thin pointed wings, that preys on rodents and hunts by hovering; also, any bird of related genera in the subfamily Elaninae.
A spinnaker (“supplementary sail to a mainsail”).
The stomach; the belly.
A tethered object which deflects its position in a medium by obtaining lift and drag in reaction with its relative motion in the medium.
A rapacious person.
A blank cheque; a fraudulent cheque, such as one issued even though there are insufficient funds to honour it, or one that has been altered without authorization.
The brill (Scophthalmus rhombus), a type of flatfish.
A polygon resembling the shape of a traditional toy kite (sense 3): a quadrilateral having two pairs of edges of equal length, the edges of each pair touching each other at one end.
Any bird of the subfamily Milvinae, with long wings and weak legs, feeding mostly on carrion and spending long periods soaring; specifically, the red kite (Milvus milvus) and the black kite (Milvus migrans).
A planetary configuration wherein one planet of a grand trine is in opposition to an additional fourth planet.
Some species in the subfamily Perninae.
A (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially one passed illegally into, within, or out of a prison.
An accommodation bill (“a bill of exchange endorsed by a reputable third party acting as a guarantor, as a favour and without compensation”).
To tamper with a document or record by increasing the quantity of something beyond its proper amount so that the difference may be unlawfully retained; in particular, to alter a medical prescription for this purpose by increasing the number of pills or other items.
To pass a (usually concealed) letter or oral message, especially illegally into, within, or out of a prison.
To write or present (a cheque) on an account with insufficient funds, either to defraud or expecting that funds will become available by the time the cheque clears.
To move rapidly; to rush.
To deflect sideways in the water.
To (cause to) glide in the manner of a kite (“bird”).
To manipulate like a toy kite; also, usually preceded by an inflection of go: to fly a toy kite.
To travel by kite, as when kitesurfing.
To steal.
To keep ahead of (an enemy) in order to attack repeatedly from a distance, without exposing oneself to danger.
To cause (something) to move upwards rapidly like a toy kite; also (chiefly US, figuratively) to cause (something, such as costs) to increase rapidly.