What does "buzzard" mean?
Any of several Old World birds of prey of the genus Buteo with broad wings and a broad tail.
Buzzard
/ˈbʌzəɹd/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of several Old World birds of prey of the genus Buteo with broad wings and a broad tail.
- Grammar: buzzard is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: turkey vulture, vulture, bird of prey, broadwing.
- Usage evidence: The coyote skulks among the scrub, the buzzard flaps heavily through the air, and the clumsy grizzly bear lumbers through the dark ravines, and picks up such sustenance as it can amongst the rocks. These are the sole dwellers in the wilderness.
How to use "buzzard"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "buzzard" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "buzzard" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "buzzard" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "buzzard" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "buzzard" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "turkey vulture" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "buzzard", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several Old World birds of prey of the genus Buteo with broad wings and a broad tail.
- 2 A bastard. euphemistic
- 3 the common European short-winged hawk wordnet
- 4 Any scavenging bird, such as the American black vulture (Coragyps atratus) or the turkey vulture (Cathartes aura). Canada, US
- 5 a New World vulture that is common in South America and Central America and the southern United States wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 In North America, a curmudgeonly or cantankerous man; an old person; a mean, greedy person. colloquial, derogatory, slang
"Perhaps the crusty old buzzard loved his only child more than anyone had given him credit for all these years — maybe even more than he himself had realized."
- 7 A blockhead; a dunce. archaic
"1640, George Herbert, Jacula Prudentum; or, Outlandish Proverbs, Sentences, etc., in The Remains of that Sweet Singer of the Temple George Herbert, London: Pickering, 1841, p. 142, An old man’s shadow is better than a young buzzard’s sword."
- 8 Synonym of double bogey.
- 9 A fighter plane. US, World-War-I, slang
- 10 The insignia of a colonel, or a petty officer within the navy. US, dated, slang
- 11 A military discharge (due to the military discharge certificate). US, slang
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Old French.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The coyote skulks among the scrub, the buzzard flaps heavily through the air, and the clumsy grizzly bear lumbers through the dark ravines, and picks up such sustenance as it can amongst the rocks. These are the sole dwellers in the wilderness."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "buzzard"?
Common synonyms include: turkey vulture, vulture, bird of prey, broadwing, buteo, buteo buteo.
How do you use "buzzard" in a sentence?
The coyote skulks among the scrub, the buzzard flaps heavily through the air, and the clumsy grizzly bear lumbers through the dark ravines, and picks up such sustenance as it can amongst the rocks. These are the sole dwellers in the wilderness.
How do you pronounce "buzzard"?
Pronounced /ˈbʌzəɹd/.
Etymology
From Middle English bosart, from Anglo-Norman buisart, from Old French busart, busard, a derivative ( + -ard) of Old French buison, buson (French buse), possibly from Latin būteō (“hawk”).