vulture

American  

[vuhl-cher] / ˈvʌl tʃər /

noun

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

• vulture-like
  adjective
• vulturelike
  adjective

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

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

As Scott Weidensaul tells us, poisoning has led to seven of Africa’s 10 vulture species being listed as endangered or critically endangered, with populations down as much as 97%.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Critics tend to debate whether she is a vulture or just losing her grasp on reality, but there’s no question she’s hit on a successful formula.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

Gey took any cells he could get his hands on—he called himself “the world’s most famous vulture, feeding on human specimens almost constantly.”

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot