buzzard

C2 Topic:Animals

US /ˈbʌzəɹd/ See IPA manual

Freq #25037

Meanings

1

noun
A large bird of prey with broad wings and a broad tail, common in Europe.

A buzzard circled slowly over the open field, hunting for mice.
2

noun
A scavenging bird such as the American vulture.

Buzzards gathered around the carcass at the side of the highway.
3

noun
An unpleasant, mean, or bad-tempered old man.

The old buzzard next door yelled at us for stepping on his lawn.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a scavenging bird such as... turkey buzzardturkey vulture

More broadwingbuteovulture

Word family

Forms buzzards

Derived forms buzzard-eaglebuzzardetbuzzardlike

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

turkey buzzard
a New World vulture commonly called the turkey vulture

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Buzzard entered Middle English from Old French busard, based on Latin būteō, “falcon.” Because the bird was regarded as an inferior hawk unsuitable for falconry, its name later became a disparaging term for an ignorant or stupid person.

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”).

bosart Middle English buisart xno busart Old French buison Old French būteō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Animals

External links

# buzzard

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbʌzəɹd/
**Frequency rank:** 25037

## Meanings
1. A large bird of prey with broad wings and a broad tail, common in Europe.
2. A scavenging bird such as the American vulture.
3. An unpleasant, mean, or bad-tempered old man.

## Examples
- A buzzard circled slowly over the open field, hunting for mice.
- Buzzards gathered around the carcass at the side of the highway.
- The old buzzard next door yelled at us for stepping on his lawn.

## Synonyms
- broadwing
- buteo
- vulture

## Derived Forms
- buzzard-eagle
- buzzardet
- buzzardlike

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: bosart
- Root: buisart
- Root: busart
- Root: buison
- Root: būteō

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Buzzard is 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”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include bosart (Middle English), buisart (xno), busart (Old French), buison (Old French), and būteō (Latin). Current senses include a large bird of prey with broad wings and a broad tail, common in Europe, a scavenging bird such as the American vulture, and an unpleasant, mean, or bad-tempered old man. The wider family includes derived forms such as buzzard-eagle, buzzardet, and buzzardlike.

## Topics
- Animals

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