Buzzard

/ˈbʌzərd/ noun

Definition

A large bird of prey, or an old-fashioned insult meaning a despicable or contemptible person.

Etymology

From Old French 'busard,' derived from Latin 'buteo,' a type of hawk. The meaning evolved from the bird itself to a term of contempt, possibly because the bird was seen as an inferior hawk.

Kelly Says

In medieval falconry, a buzzard was considered the lowest-class hunting bird—so calling someone a 'buzzard' was basically saying they were trash, which is why it became a major insult!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.