vulture

noun

vul·​ture ˈvəl-chər How to pronounce vulture (audio)
1
: any of various large birds (families Accipitridae and Cathartidae) that are related to the hawks, eagles, and falcons but have weaker claws and the head usually naked and that subsist chiefly or entirely on carrion
2
: a rapacious or predatory person
vulturish adjective

Examples of vulture in a Sentence

As soon as they learned of his arrest, the media vultures started circling. noted that the paparazzi are vultures who could not exist without the connivance of the tabloid-buying public
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.
Intelligencer The Cut Vulture The Strategist Curbed Grub Street vulture games Nov. 13, 2024 A new Cinematrix drops every morning. Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 Thick swarms of black flies hummed and knocked against the windows of an idling car, while crows and vultures waited nearby — eyeballing the taut and bloated carcasses roasting in the October heat. Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024 Turkey vultures have enlarged nostrils and a heightened sense of smell to detect freshly rotting meat. Ramon Padilla, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024 Back in the early ‘80s, there were more than 40 million vultures of various species in South Asia. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vulture 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vultur, from Anglo-French, from Latin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vulture was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near vulture

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

vulture

noun
vul·​ture ˈvəl-chər How to pronounce vulture (audio)
1
: any of various large birds that feed mostly on animals found dead and that are related to the hawks and eagles but have weaker claws and the head usually naked
2
: a greedy or predatory person

More from Merriam-Webster on vulture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!