vulture

noun

vul·​ture ˈvəl-chər 

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

ˈvəl-chə-rish 

adjective

Synonyms

• bloodsucker
• buzzard
• harpy
• kite
• predator
• shark
• vampire
• wolf

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

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vultur, from Anglo-French, from Latin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing vulture

• bearded vulture
• turkey vulture
• vulture capitalism

Kids Definition

vulture

noun

vul·​ture ˈvəl-chər 

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