buzzard
1[ buhz-erd ]
/ ˈbʌz ərd /
Save This Word!
noun
any of several broad-winged, soaring hawks of the genus Buteo and allied genera, especially B. buteo, of Europe.
any of several New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, especially the turkey vulture.
Slang. a contemptible or cantankerous person (often preceded by old): That old buzzard has lived in the same shack for twenty years.
adjective
Obsolete. senseless; stupid.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of buzzard
11250–1300; Middle English busard<Old French, variant of buisard, equivalent to buis(on) buzzard (<Latin būteōn-, stem of būteō kind of hawk) + -ard-ard
OTHER WORDS FROM buzzard
buz·zard·like, adjectivebuz·zard·ly, adjective, adverbWords nearby buzzard
Definition for buzzard (2 of 2)
buzzard2
[ buhz-erd ]
/ ˈbʌz ərd /
noun British Dialect.
any of various nocturnal buzzing insects, as cockchafers.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for buzzard
British Dictionary definitions for buzzard
buzzard
/ (ˈbʌzəd) /
noun
any diurnal bird of prey of the genus Buteo, typically having broad wings and tail and a soaring flight: family Accipitridae (hawks, etc)Compare honey buzzard, turkey buzzard
a mean or cantankerous person
Word Origin for buzzard
C13: from Old French buisard, variant of buison buzzard, from Latin būteō hawk, falcon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012