Vultures

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Large scavenging birds recognized for their soaring flight and feeding primarily on carrion
2. members of the family Accipitridae or cathartidae known for their bald heads
3. symbolic of decay and opportunistic feeding behavior in various cultures

Etymology: The plural "vultures" is simply the regular plural of "vulture," so the real story belongs to the singular. English borrowed the word into Middle English from Anglo-Norman "vultur," which came from Old French "voutoir" or "voutre," and those in turn descended from Latin "vultur" (also spelled "voltur"). The Latin form is the ancestor of the modern word, so the borrowing made the Old French and Anglo-Norman layers its immediate route into English. The borrowing did more than add a new word: it replaced the native Old English term "ūf," which dropped out of use. English speakers who had once called these birds by an Old English name ended up using a French-shaped word derived from Latin instead.

Synonyms: scavengers, carrion-eaters

Antonyms: predators