king vulture


noun
  1. a large, black-and-white vulture, Sarcorhamphus papa, of Central and South America, having colorful wattles and wartlike protuberances on its head and neck.

Origin of king vulture

1
First recorded in 1880–85

Words Nearby king vulture

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

How to use king vulture in a sentence

  • Monarch of the feathered tribes of the forest, the king vulture fears no rival throughout his wild domain.

    The Western World | W.H.G. Kingston
  • The king vulture makes his nest in the hollow of a tree, where his queen lays two eggs.

    The Western World | W.H.G. Kingston
  • The king vulture (Dresden 8a), the dog (Dresden 7a), and the parrot (Dresden 40b) come next in descending importance.

    Animal Figures in the Maya Codices | Alfred M. Tozzer and Glover M. Allen
  • Two species only seem to occur in the writings, the king vulture and the black vulture.

    Animal Figures in the Maya Codices | Alfred M. Tozzer and Glover M. Allen
  • In the Nuttall Codex, the head of the king vulture occurs repeatedly as a glyph for this day.

    Animal Figures in the Maya Codices | Alfred M. Tozzer and Glover M. Allen