vulture Hear it!

vulture Definition

vul·ture (vul′c̸hər)

noun

  1. any of a number of large birds of prey with a naked, usually brightly colored head and dark plumage, including the Old World vultures (family Accipitridae) and the New World vultures (family Cathartidae); esp., the New World turkey vulture: they feed chiefly or entirely on carrion and are found in tropical and temperate regions
  2. any greedy and ruthless person who preys on others

Etymology: ME vultur < L, akin to vellere, to tear: see vulnerable

vulture Synonyms

vulture

n.

Types of vultures include: black vulture, condor, Egyptian vulture, king vulture, lammergeier, griffon, turkey vulture;

vulture Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • perch: We had good views of a perched Red-headed Vulture and at one point we had Long-billed and White-rumped Vultures circling together for comparison.
  • see: From the bus we saw several lesser yellow-headed vultures on the opposite side of the road.
  • include: In addition, about 20 to 30 birds including vultures, eagles and a laughing Kookaburra are also on display.
  • have: Also overhead we had an Egyptian Vulture, a Montagu's Harrier and several Marsh Harriers.
  • save: Plenary Groups of students could tell others in the class how they propose to save the vulture.

Adjective modifier

  • white-backed: There has been a 10 % decline in African white-backed vultures over the past few years.
  • bearded: The area provides good walking, climbing and riding while the peaks are the realm of eagles and bearded vultures.
  • Egyptian: My first bird was an Egyptian Vulture closely followed by a Short-toed Eagle.
  • hooded: At c. 11 o'clock every day, they feed the vultures - an opportunity to get up close to hooded vultures.
  • black: The black vultures are doing well on the roads, thank you.
  • other: They have a circling motion which alerts other vultures that a carcass has been spotted.

Modifies a noun

  • circle: Admire the breathtaking views as eagles and vultures circle high above.
  • specie: We had another of the vulture species later on; his was the Griffin Vulture.
  • fund: Blackstone, the giant US vulture fund, is already rumored to have sniffed.
  • population: And now, the crash of the vulture population has added to their problems.
  • feeding: Highlight was a Cinereous Vulture feeding on a Camel head by the side of the road.

Noun used with modifier

  • griffon: You continue to descend through a dramatic gorge lined with Mediterranean bushes that is home to 200 pairs of griffon vultures.
  • turkey: The skies above heave with eagles, hawks, buzzards and turkey vultures.
  • culture: Across the street is The Broadway another haven for culture vultures.
  • king: Harpy eagles and king vultures soar above the canopy, while scarlet macaws as well as blue and yellow macaws feast on clay licks.