condor

noun

con·​dor ˈkän-dər How to pronounce condor (audio) -ˌdȯr How to pronounce condor (audio)
1
a
: a very large American vulture (Vultur gryphus) of the high Andes having the head and neck bare and the plumage dull black with a downy white neck ruff and white patches on the wings

called also Andean condor

2
plural condors or condores kən-ˈdȯr-ˌās How to pronounce condor (audio) : a coin (such as the centesimo of Chile) bearing the picture of a condor

Examples of condor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Watch for condors: Spot one of the rarest birds in North America. Judy Koutsky, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 The smaller, red-headed cousin of the California condor, the turkey vulture sports a wingspan of a mere 6 feet as opposed to the condor's nearly 10-foot spread. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024 But condors raised by human caretakers have a lower chance of survival in the wild (hence the condor puppets that zookeepers used in the 1980s to prevent young birds from imprinting on human caregivers). Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024 This year, the zoo team was inspired to try three chicks per single condor. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for condor 

Word History

Etymology

Spanish cóndor, from Quechua kuntur

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of condor was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near condor

Cite this Entry

“Condor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/condor. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

condor

noun
1
: a very large South American vulture of the high Andes having the head and neck bare and the plumage dull black with a ring of white down behind the head
2

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