From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Buzzard \Buz"zard\, a.
Senseless; stupid. [R. & Obs.] --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Buzzard \Buz"zard\ (b[u^]z"z[~e]rd), n.[O.E. busard, bosard, F.
busard, fr. buse, L. buteo, a kind of falcon or hawk.]
[1913 Webster]
1. (Zool.) A bird of prey of the Hawk family, belonging to
the genus {Buteo} and related genera.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) In the United States, a term used for the {turkey
vulture} ({Cathartes aura}), and sometimes
indiscriminately to any vulture.
[PJC]
Note: The {Buteo vulgaris} is the common buzzard of Europe.
The American species (of which the most common are
{Buteo borealis}, {Buteo Pennsylvanicus}, and {Buteo
lineatus}) are usually called hen hawks. -- The
rough-legged buzzard, or bee hawk, of Europe ({Pernis
apivorus}) feeds on bees and their larv[ae], with other
insects, and reptiles. -- The moor buzzard of Europe is
{Circus [ae]ruginosus}. See {Turkey buzzard}, and
{Carrion buzzard}.
[1913 Webster]
{Bald buzzard}, the fishhawk or osprey. See {Fishhawk}.
[1913 Webster]
2. A blockhead; a dunce.
[1913 Webster]
It is common, to a proverb, to call one who can not
be taught, or who continues obstinately ignorant, a
buzzard. --Goldsmith.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
buzzard
n 1: a New World vulture that is common in South America and
Central America and the southern United States [syn:
{buzzard}, {turkey buzzard}, {turkey vulture}, {Cathartes
aura}]
2: the common European short-winged hawk [syn: {buzzard}, {Buteo
buteo}]
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