OSPREY

osprey, fish hawk, fish eagle, sea eagle, Pandion haliaetus

(noun) large harmless hawk found worldwide that feeds on fish and builds a bulky nest often occupied for years

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

osprey (plural ospreys)

A bird of prey (Pandion haliaetus) that feeds on fish and has white underparts and long, narrow wings each ending in four finger-like extensions.

aigrette (ornamental feather)

Synonyms

• fish eagle (a misnomer as the osprey is not an eagle, but compare some of the translations below)

• fish hawk (a misnomer as the osprey is not a hawk)

• orfray (obsolete, incorrect)

• ossifrage (from Latin "bone-breaker")

• osspringer (obsolete)

Anagrams

• Poyers

Source: Wiktionary


Os"prey, Os"pray, n. Etym: [Through OF. fr. L. ossifraga (orig., the bone breaker); prob. influenced by oripelargus (mountain stork, a kind of eagle, Gr. orpres, and F. orfraie. See Ossifrage.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: The fishhawk.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 May 2025

AIR

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