vulture

Everyday

1. A vulture is a large bird with a bald or nearly bald head that eats the meat of dead animals. tree →
2. (informal) A vulture is a person who waits to take advantage of someone else's trouble or bad luck. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons vultures are scavengers: they clean up dead animals, which stops diseases spreading, so they are important in food chains. They soar high on warm air currents and find food by sight or smell. Many vulture species are in danger because of poison. In stories and news, «like vultures» describes people crowding round to grab something. Phrases: «circling like vultures», «culture vulture» (someone who loves arts, joking).

Examples

• Vultures circled high over the savannah. tree →
• A vulture's bald head stays clean when it feeds. tree →
• Vultures are nature's clean-up crew. tree →
• Without vultures, dead animals would spread disease. tree →
• The condor is a kind of New World vulture. tree →
• As soon as the shop closed, buyers came like vultures for the cheap stock. tree →
• My aunt is a real culture vulture — she visits every museum. tree →
• The Vulture thought this reasonable, and let Lambikin pass. tree →

Note

Plural «vultures». Spelling: vul-ture. Trap: vultures rarely kill animals; they mostly eat ones already dead. Old-world vultures (Africa, Europe, Asia) and new-world vultures (Americas) look alike but are not close relatives.

In Jewish tradition

In Leviticus and Deuteronomy several kinds of vulture are in the list of birds that may not be eaten. In Job and the prophets the vulture is a bird that flies high and swoops on its prey, used as a picture of swift attack.

Interpretation. They are among the unclean birds, which are birds of prey. These lists are part of the laws of kashrut, the rules of what Jews may eat.

Examples

• and the pelican, and the carrion-vulture, and the cormorant; (Torah DEU.14.17, JPS 1917) tree →
• and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the carrion-vulture; (Torah LEV.11.18, JPS 1917) tree →
• But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and the ospray; (Torah DEU.14.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• Doth the vulture mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? (Writings JOB.39.27, JPS 1917) tree →
• They are passed away as the swift ships; as the vulture that swoopeth on the prey. (Writings JOB.9.26, JPS 1917) tree →
• For thus saith the LORD: Behold, he shall swoop as a vulture, and shall spread out his wings against Moab. (Prophets JER.48.40, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Plural «vultures». Spelling: vul-ture. Trap: vultures rarely kill animals; they mostly eat ones already dead. Old-world vultures (Africa, Europe, Asia) and new-world vultures (Americas) look alike but are not close relatives.