Aë'rie, n.

(ē'rȳ or ā'rȳ) (Synop., § 130), n. [Fr. aire, f.; aire, m., Cotgr.; Norm. Fr. aery, aire, L. Lat. area, aeria, ari, Pr. aire, equiv. to demeure; fr. Lat. area, upon inscriptions often aræ, an open space, a bowling floor; for birds of prey like to build their nests on flat and open spaces on the top of high rocks. The derivations of this word from the Teutonic ey, an egg, and from the Celtic eryr, er, an eagle, are both erroneous. Cf. Ducange: Unusquisque liber homo habeat in boscis suis Aërius accipitrum, spervariorum, falconum, aquilarum, et heronum.] The nest of a bird of prey, as of an eagle or hawk; a brood of such birds; ery. Shak.