vulture

American  

[vuhl-cher] / ˈvʌl tʃər /

noun

• vultures
  plural

1. any of several large, primarily carrion-eating Old World birds of prey of the family Accipitridae, often having a naked head and less powerful feet than those of the related hawks and eagles.

2. any of several superficially similar New World birds of the family Cathartidae, as the turkey vulture.

3. a person or thing that preys, especially greedily or unscrupulously.

   That vulture would sell out his best friend.

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vulture British  

/ ˈvʌltʃə /

noun

1. any of various very large diurnal birds of prey of the genera Neophron, Gyps, Gypaetus, etc, of Africa, Asia, and warm parts of Europe, typically having broad wings and soaring flight and feeding on carrion: family Accipitridae (hawks) See also griffon 1 lammergeier

2. any similar bird of the family Cathartidae of North, Central, and South America See also condor turkey buzzard

3. a person or thing that preys greedily and ruthlessly on others, esp the helpless

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vulture-like
  adjective
• vulturelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• vultures
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vulture

1325–75; Middle English < Latin vultur

Compare meaning

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

• condor vs. vulture
• vulture vs. turkey vulture

Explanation

A vulture is a type of bird — with a bald head and neck — that feeds on dead animals. One of the most fearsome birds is the vulture: this bird of prey feeds on almost nothing but dead flesh. Unlike other animals that hunt, vultures go after animals that were killed by other animals or died naturally. Vultures are scavengers looking for corpses. And because of their morbid tastes, vultures are often associated with horror movies and scenes of carnage.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vulture vultures

A recent BirdLife report says African vulture populations have fallen by between 80% and 97% over a period of 50 years.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

In a 2024 exposé on Bowlero’s rise, Amos Barshad introduced a now-familiar category of villain — the private-equity vulture — as more than the average mercenary buying up distressed properties and selling off their parts.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

My wildlife checklist grew: red kites, black-winged kites, common buzzards, golden eagles, Spanish imperial eagles, a goshawk, three types of owl, two kinds of vulture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

The new structure at Hertfordshire Zoo, in Broxbourne, means the public can see an endangered Egyptian vulture, named Ramasees, for the very first time at the attraction.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

The thought that had been circling in my mind like a vulture finally settled.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

Some cranes, pelicans, and vultures weighing between 8kg and 21.5kg have hatchlings ranging from 110g to around 357g, corresponding to neonate-adult body mass ratios of about 1.3% to 4.5%.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

About a dozen vultures were feeding on the remains of a pregnant female elephant, who had died near full term, and her unborn calf.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Yet for many who venture into the wild elsewhere on the continent, vultures are not the first birds to capture their attention.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Rarely do we stop to admire vultures through binoculars or photograph in awe.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Upright, he saw what the larger group of vultures was circling: the corpse of a deer.

From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker