vulture

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Related to Vultures: Turkey vultures, black vultures

vul·ture

(vŭl′chər)

1. Any of various large birds of prey characteristically having dark plumage and a featherless head and neck and generally feeding on carrion. Species found in the Americas are in the family Cathartidae, and those found in Eurasia and Africa are in the family Accipitridae.

2. A person of a rapacious, predatory, or profiteering nature.

[Middle English, from Old French voltour, from Latin vultur.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

vulture

(ˈvʌltʃə)

1. (Animals) any of various very large diurnal birds of prey of the genera Neophron, Gyps, Gypaetus, etc, of Africa, Asia, and warm parts of Europe, typically having broad wings and soaring flight and feeding on carrion: family Accipitridae (hawks). See also griffon¹², lammergeier

2. (Animals) any similar bird of the family Cathartidae of North, Central, and South America. See also condor, turkey buzzard

3. a person or thing that preys greedily and ruthlessly on others, esp the helpless

[C14: from Old French voltour, from Latin vultur; perhaps related to Latin vellere to pluck, tear]

ˈvulture-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vul•ture

(ˈvʌl tʃər)

n.

1. any of several large, naked-headed New World birds of prey of the family Cathartidae that soar at a high altitude seeking carrion.

2. any of several superficially similar Old World birds of the family Accipitridae.

3. a person or thing that preys, esp. greedily or unscrupulously.

[1325–75; Middle English < Latin vultur]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	vulture - any of various large diurnal birds of prey having naked heads and weak claws and feeding chiefly on carrion bird of prey, raptor, raptorial bird - any of numerous carnivorous birds that hunt and kill other animals Aegypiidae, family Aegypiidae - in some classifications considered the family comprising the Old World vultures which are more often included in the family Accipitridae Old World vulture - any of several large vultures of Africa and Eurasia cathartid, New World vulture - large birds of prey superficially similar to Old World vultures
	2.	vulture - someone who attacks in search of booty marauder, piranha, predator aggressor, assailant, assaulter, attacker - someone who attacks moss-trooper - a marauder and plunderer (originally operating in the bogs between England and Scotland)

Translations

نَسْر

sup

grib

vulturo

korppikotka

lešinarsup

keselyûkeselyű

hrægammur

avvoltoio grifone

ハゲワシ

독수리

vultur

grifas

grifsmaitu lija

vultur

sup

jastreb

gam

นกแร้ง

akbaba

вольт

chim ó

秃鹫秃鹰

vulture

[ˈvʌltʃəʳ] N

1. (Orn) → buitre m, zopilote m (CAm, Mex), aura f (Carib), carancho m (S. Cone), gallinazo m (Col, Andes), urubú m (Peru, Uru), zamuro m (Ven)
black vulture → buitre m negro

2. (fig) → buitre m
as the vultures from the press descended → cuando los buitres de la prensa se acercaron
they're like a lot of vultures → son una panda de buitres
see also culture

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

vulture

[ˈvʌltʃə^r] n → vautour m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

vulture

n (lit, fig) → Geier m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

vulture

(ˈvaltʃə) noun

a type of large bird of prey feeding chiefly on dead bodies.

vulture

→ نَسْر sup grib Geier όρνιο buitre korppikotka vautour lešinar avvoltoio ハゲワシ 독수리 gier gribb sęp abutre гриф gam นกแร้ง akbaba chim ó 秃鹰

References in classic literature ?

A LION and a Boar, who were fighting for water at a pool, saw some vultures hovering significantly above them.

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At the moment when she is struggling in the convulsions of death, a vulture is flying by (there are a good many vultures in Adelmonte's country); this bird darts on the dead fowl, and carries it away to a rock, where it dines off its prey.

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The bones were in a fair state of preservation and indicated by their intactness that the flesh had probably been picked from them by vultures as none was broken; but the pieces of equipment bore out the suggestion of their great age.

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"Whoe'er I know shall shun th' impending fight, To dogs and vultures soon shall be a prey; For death is mine.

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Monster that he is; would indeed that the gods loved him no better than I do, for so, dogs and vultures would soon devour him as he lay stretched on earth, and a load of grief would be lifted from my heart, for many a brave son has he reft from me, either by killing them or selling them away in the islands that are beyond the sea: even now I miss two sons from among the Trojans who have thronged within the city, Lycaon and Polydorus, whom Laothoe peeress among women bore me.

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Tarry not, ye vultures; see, the slayers"--pointing to the ominous group of executioners behind--"make sharp their spears; the white men from afar are hungry to see.

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Wherever these animals are congregated on the rocks, there the vultures may be seen.

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But the retreat had been hurried and the vultures and the good Samaritans would have to look to the dead.

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I went to see them when the vultures and the jackals had done their work.

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They passed the place where Tom had slain the jaguar, but nothing was left but the bones; the ants, vultures and jungle animals having picked them clean in the night.

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They were the dead of the Indian villages, carried by the Ganges to the level of the sea, and which the vultures, the only undertakers of the country, had not been able to devour.

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The country abounded with aquatic and land birds, such as swans, wild geese, brant, ducks of almost every description, pelicans, herons, gulls, snipes, curlews, eagles, vultures, crows, ravens, magpies, woodpeckers, pigeons, partridges, pheasants, grouse, and a great variety of singing birds.