black vulture


noun
  1. Also called carrion crow. an American vulture, Coragyps atratus, having a black, bald head and black plumage.

  2. any of several Old World vultures, especially Aegypius monachus, of southern Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Origin of black vulture

1
First recorded in 1785–95

Words Nearby black vulture

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use black vulture in a sentence

  • The California condor, a great black vulture-like bird, is almost extinct, and is only found in the highest mountains.

    Stories of California | Ella M. Sexton
  • When young it is nearly black, and indeed has been treated as a separate species under the name of black vulture.

    Bible Animals; | J. G. Wood
  • At night I dreamed of a hideous black vulture that preyed on my liver; and became very melancholy.

  • The turkey-buzzard (Cathartes ora) is similar in its habits to the black vulture, and is frequently mistaken for it.

    The Western World | W.H.G. Kingston
  • Over the palm-trees' feathery crests sailed a black vulture, its palmated wing-tips spread like inky fingers against the blue.

    Quick Action | Robert W. Chambers