- any diurnal bird of prey of the genus Buteo, typically having broad wings and tail and a soaring flight: family Accipitridae (hawks, etc)
Compare honey buzzard, turkey buzzard
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
buz•zard1 /ˈbʌzɚd/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Birdsa broad-winged hawk of Europe and Asia.
- Birdsa vulture of the Americas, esp. the turkey vulture.
- a grouchy or greedy person.
buz•zard1
(buz′ərd),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
buz′zard•like′, adj.
buz′zard•ly, adj., adv.
buz•zard2 (buz′ərd),USA pronunciation n. [Brit. Dial.]
- Birdsany of several broad-winged, soaring hawks of the genus Buteo and allied genera, esp. B. buteo, of Europe.
- Birdsany of several New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, esp. the turkey vulture.
- Slang Termsa contemptible or cantankerous person (often prec. by old):That old buzzard has lived in the same shack for twenty years.
adj.
- [Obs.]senseless;
stupid.
- Latin būteōn-, stem of būteō kind of hawk) + -ard -ard
- Old French, variant of buisard, equivalent. to buis(on) buzzard (
- Middle English busard 1250–1300
buz′zard•ly, adj., adv.
buz•zard2 (buz′ərd),USA pronunciation n. [Brit. Dial.]
- British Termsany of various nocturnal buzzing insects, as cockchafers.
- buzz1 + -ard 1645–55
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
buzzard /ˈbʌzəd/ n
'buzzard' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):