vulture

Definition

Any of several carrion-eating birds of the families Accipitridae and Cathartidae.

Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from Anglo-Norman vultur, from Old French voutoir, voutre, from Latin vultur, voltur.

Example Sentences

• "The outer third of the wing of a vulture consists of the wing tips. The inner two-thirds of the wing are cambered (when the wing is extended), and are concerned with lifting effort in unsoarable air and with lifting and tractive effort in soarable air."
• "In clusters on the plain, like cowlless monks at matins, sat the vultures that had settled on the corpse of the hyena impaled by the female rhino […]"
• "Within ten minutes of the accident, the vultures appeared and were organizing lawsuits."