noun
vulture
VUHLT-shuh
noun
1
A large bird of prey that feeds mainly on the flesh of dead animals.
"Vultures circled high above the carcass, waiting their turn."
2
A person who takes advantage of others' misfortune for their own gain.
"Investors swooped in like vultures the moment the company's stock collapsed."
How to Use Vulture
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA scavenger bird, or (figuratively) someone who profits from others' bad luck.
Common pairings
circle like vultures
corporate vultures
Word Forms
vultured past tense, vultures plural, vultures singular
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_____ circled high above the carcass, waiting their turn.
Etymology
From Old French voutoir, from Latin vultur. It replaced the native Old English word for the bird, ufe.