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 This year, said Mary Larson Bishop, who lives near Fresno, Calif., the vultures came back earlier than usual. Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2024 Police also touted the role vultures played in finding the body. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2024 That internal bone structure resembles that of the modern vulture, which soars on thermal currents. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024 Investigators decided to search the wooded area behind Exit 49 after spotting vultures flying in the area throughout the day Wednesday, Burnett Jr. said. Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for vulture 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vulture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 6 Oct. 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!