Buzzard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbʌzəɹd/

Definitions

1. A large soaring bird known for scavenging carrion ; a person viewed as unproductive or contemptible
2. A broad-winged raptor often seen circling in the sky ; an individual regarded negatively for lack of effort or value
3. A sizeable bird of prey that feeds on dead animals ; someone considered idle or of little worth

Etymology: The English "buzzard" has a surprisingly confusing history of its own. Medieval English speakers borrowed it as "bosart" from Anglo-Norman "buisart," which came from Old French "busard" or "busart." That French word was built from "buson" (modern French "buse"), with the suffix "-ard" added, and "buson" itself may trace back to Latin "būteō," meaning "hawk." The suffix "-ard" is the same one found in words like "coward" and "drunkard," where it often carries a sense of someone or something characterized by a trait. Over the centuries the word has been applied to more than one bird. In Britain it names the common buzzard, a broad-winged hawk, while in North America the same name is used for vultures, especially the turkey vulture, which feeds on carrion. That scavenging habit probably explains the second sense, the figure of a useless or worthless person, since a bird that lives on dead animals came to stand for someone of little account.

Synonyms: hawk, vulture, bird of prey