buzzard

[ buhz-erd ]

/ ˈbʌz ərd /

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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.

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Origin of buzzard

1250–1300; 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, adverb

Words nearby buzzard

buyup, Buzau, buzkashi, buzuki, buzz, buzzard, Buzzard's Bay, buzz bomb, buzzcut, buzzer, buzz in

Other definitions for buzzard (2 of 2)

buzzard²

[ buhz-erd ]

/ ˈbʌz ərd /

noun British Dialect.

any of various nocturnal buzzing insects, as cockchafers.

Origin of buzzard

First recorded in 1645–55; buzz + -ard

How to use buzzard in a sentence

We can deal with that old buzzard as freely and as profitably as if we were in a cutthroat pawnshop.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney
Lying so, she looked far up into the blue sky where a buzzard floated on lazy wings.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright
But quick as she was, the buzzard, who had been watching her movements from the bough of a tree, was quicker still.
The Animal Story Book|Various
The process that had answered for one cat would answer for a second, as the buzzard very well knew.
The Animal Story Book|Various

The bees droned, and the wheeling buzzard suddenly dropped like a plummet a hundred yards through the larkspur blue.
Mushroom Town|Oliver Onions

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