condor

American  

[kon-der, -dawr] / ˈkɒn dər, -dɔr /

noun

• condors
  plural

1. either of two large, New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, Gymnogyps californianus California condor or Vultur gryphus Andean condor, the largest flying birds in the Western Hemisphere: the California condor is almost extinct; the Andean condor is greatly reduced in number and rare in many areas.

2. a former coin of Chile equal to 10 pesos.

3. a former coin of Ecuador equal to 10 sucres.

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condor British  

/ ˈkɒndɔː /

noun

1. either of two very large rare New World vultures, Vultur gryphus ( Andean condor ), which has black plumage with white around the neck, and Gymnogyps californianus ( California condor ), which is similar but nearly extinct

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• condors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of condor

First recorded in 1595–1605; from South American Spanish, from Quechua kuntur

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Compare meaning

How does condor compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• condor vs. vulture

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Explanation

A condor is a vulture with a huge wingspan. The California condor has been reintroduced after being declared extinct in the wild in 1987. There are two species of condor, the Andean condor and the California condor. Both are enormous vultures that feed on carrion. Since a captive breeding program and conservation efforts allowed their return to the wild, there are about 500 California condors living today. It's the largest land bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to nearly ten feet. The word condor is derived from the Quechua word for the bird, kuntur.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

condor condors

Thanks to a recovery program under the act, the condor population has since soared to several hundreds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

A California condor known as Ney-gem’ ‘Ne-chweenkah’ — Yurok for “She carries our prayers” — has been flying to a particular spot deep inside Redwood National Park, near Klamath.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

This week, the focus is on 10 condor chicks that were hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, making them eligible to be released into the wild to help restore the state’s depleted condor population.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025

“The care and well being that our animal care team provides continues to be innovative and advances the success of the condor program every year.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025

He pointed to the stars in the uppermost sky, drawing the shape of the condor in flight with his fingers.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

This strange realm of pointy peaks, rocky caves and soaring condors is California’s youngest and smallest national park, set in the underappreciated middle of California, where farms, ranches and vineyards blanket the valleys and hills.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The site has also attracted blue herons, kingfishers, otters, deer, bears, California condors and a resident herd of elk notorious for tearing up new seedlings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

If the condors stop coming to the nest, it will suggest it failed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

It takes six or seven months for condors to fledge, or take their first flight from the nest.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026

For example, the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos are now subjecting the last surviving California condors to a more draconian control of breeding than that imposed upon any domesticated species.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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