Dictionary definitions
- Enter a word for the dictionary definition.
ossifrage
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Ossifrage \Os"si*frage\, n. [L. ossifraga, ossifragus, osprey, fr. ossifragus bone breaking; os, ossis, a bone + frangere, fractum, to break. See Osseous, Break, and cf. Osprey, Ossifragous.] (Zool.) (a) The lammergeir. (b) The young of the sea eagle or bald eagle. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] .
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Lammergeir \Lam"mer*geir\ (l[a^]m"m[~e]r*g[imac]r), Lammergeier \Lam"mer*gei`er\, lammergeyer \lam"mer*gey`er\ (l[a^]m"m[~e]r*g[imac]`[~e]r), n. [G. l[aum]mmergeier; lamm, pl. l[aum]mmer, lamb + geier vulture.] (Zool.) A very large vulture (Gypa["e]tus barbatus), which inhabits the mountains of Southern Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. When full-grown it is nine or ten feet in extent of wings. It is brownish black above, with the under parts and neck rusty yellow; the forehead and crown white; the sides of the head and beard black. It feeds partly on carrion and partly on small animals, which it kills. It has the habit of carrying tortoises and marrow bones to a great height, and dropping them on stones to obtain the contents, and is therefore called bonebreaker and ossifrage. It is supposed to be the ossifrage of the Bible. Called also bearded vulture and bearded eagle. [1913 Webster]
