osprey

noun

os·​prey ˈä-sprē  -ˌsprā 

plural ospreys

1

: a large fish-eating hawk (Pandion haliaetus) with long wings that is dark brown above and mostly pure white below

2

: a feather trimming used for millinery

Illustration of osprey

• osprey 1

Examples of osprey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Since 2005, Lake Katherine has been a refuge for migrating birds, beavers, muskrats, bald eagles, ospreys, turtles, and more. —Mikayla Price, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026

Watch dunlins, piping plovers, herons, osprey, and even bald eagles make the mangroves and coastal pines their warm-weather home. —Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026

Also are the sights of ospreys and eagles. —Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026

The rusty observation tower at the edge of this wastewater-fed marsh offers an osprey-eye view of two possible futures for the parched and overworked Colorado River. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ospray, from Anglo-French *osfraie, from Latin ossifraga, a bird of prey

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

osprey

noun

os·​prey ˈäs-prē  -ˌprā 

plural ospreys

: a large hawk that is dark brown above and mostly white below and that feeds chiefly on fish

called also fish hawk