ossifrage

ossifrage
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["a]mmergeier; lamm, pl. l["a]mmer, lamb + geier vulture.] (Zo["o]l.) 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]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • ossifrage — ● ossifrage nom masculin (latin ossifragus, qui brise les os) Autre nom du pétrel géant, gros oiseau marin brun, à bec fort, nichant sur les côtes de l Antarctique, se nourrissant de cadavres de manchots. ⇒OSSIFRAGE, subst. masc. ORNITH. Oiseau… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • 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}.] (Zo[ o]l.) (a) The lammergeir. (b) The young of the sea… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ossifrage — sea eagle, osprey, c.1600, from L. ossifraga vulture, fem. of ossifragus, lit. bone breaker, from ossifragus (adj.) bone breaking, from os (gen. ossis) bone + stem of frangere to break (see FRACTION (Cf. fraction)). By this name Pliny mean …   Etymology dictionary

  • ossifrage — [äs′ə frij] n. [L ossifraga,OSPREY] Archaic 1. LAMMERGEIER 2. OSPREY …   English World dictionary

  • ossifrage — 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[ a]mmergeier; lamm, pl. l[ a]mmer, lamb + geier vulture.] (Zo[ o]l.) A very large vulture ({Gypa[… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Ossifrage —    Heb. peres = to break or crush , the lammer geier, or bearded vulture, the largest of the whole vulture tribe. It was an unclean bird (Lev. 11:13; Deut. 14:12). It is not a gregarious bird, and is found but rarely in Palestine. When the other… …   Easton's Bible Dictionary

  • ossifrage — noun Etymology: Latin ossifraga, a bird of prey, from feminine of ossifragus bone breaking, from oss , os + frangere to break more at break Date: 1601 lammergeier …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ossifrage — /os euh frij/, n. 1. the lammergeier. 2. Archaic. the osprey. [1595 1605; < L ossifraga sea eagle, lit., bone breaker (n. use of fem. of ossifragus bone breaking), equiv. to ossi (comb. form of os) bone + frag , var. s. of frangere to BREAK + a… …   Universalium

  • ossifrage — os·si·frage …   English syllables

  • ossifrage — os•si•frage [[t]ˈɒs ə frɪdʒ[/t]] n. orn lammergeier • Etymology: 1595–1605; < L ossifraga sea eagle, lit., bone breaker …   From formal English to slang

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