Lammergeyer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈlaməɡaɪə/

Definitions

1. A distinct avian species characterized by its significant size and specialized diet, primarily consuming carrion and bones, while also recognized for its remarkable habitat in rugged terrains and its unique practice of osteophagy
2. Notably a large scavenger, this bird is adapted to high-altitude environments, known for its unique feeding strategy involving the dropping of bones to obtain marrow, and exhibits distinct physical features suited for its ecological niche
3. A very large bird known for scavenging, especially by breaking bones to access marrow, typically found in mountainous regions

Etymology: The lammergeier is a vulture-like bird of high mountain ranges, and its English name is a German loan. It comes from German "Lämmergeier", built from "Lamm" (lamb) and "Geier" (vulture), so the name literally means "lamb vulture". The name is a case of folk belief fixed in a word: the bird was long rumoured to snatch lambs, a claim that the bird's diet of carrion and bones does not support. The English spelling "lammergeyer" is an older variant of the same borrowing, with "geyer" reflecting an earlier spelling of the German "Geier". Both spellings name the same bird, and the word was brought into English directly from German rather than through Latin or French.