| 释义 |
▪ I. vulture, n.|ˈvʌltjʊə(r)|
Forms: α. 4 volture, 5 vowlture, 4– vulture (5 fulture), 5 voultour, 7 vultour. β. 4–9 vultur, 5 wltur, fultur, vowtur. γ. 4 vultre, 5 w(u)ltre, vowtre; 4, 6–7 vulter, 6 voulter, vultar, 7 volter.
[a. AF. vultur and voutre, OF. voltour, voultour, voutour (F. vautour), or L. vultur, or ad. L. vulturius. The OF. forms, like Pr. voltor, voutor, and It. avoltore, avoltojo, represent L. vulturi-us, while AF. voutre, Sp. buitre, and Pg. abutre are from L. vultur.
In Maundeville (1839) xxii. 237 the form veutour is prob. inexact for voutour.]
1. a. One of a number of large birds of prey of the order Raptores which feed almost entirely upon carrion and have the head and neck altogether or almost featherless.
The American vultures belong to different genera from those of the Old World.
αc1374Chaucer Troylus i. 788 Ticius yn helle, Whos stomak foughles tiren euere mo, That highte volturis as bokes telle. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. xxxvi. (Bodl. MS.), The vulture haþ þat name of slowe fliȝt. Ibid., Whan manye vultures comeþ and fleeþ togedres hit bodeþ bataille. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiv. 153 Vowltures, egles, rauyns, and oþer fewlez of rauyne. 1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 41 Grete foulis lyke ernis callit voultouris. 1567J. Maplet Gr. Forest 18 Qvandias is a stone..It is found in the Vulture his heade. 1584–7Greene Carde of Fancie Wks. (Grosart) IV. 115 The Vulture is mortal enimie to the Eele. 1615Chapman Odyss. xi. 784 On his bosome sat Two Vultures, digging through his caule of fat. 1638Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 11 The destruction of men and women..better contenting them, whose dead carkasses they devoure with a vultures appetite. 1679Collier Ess. ii. (1703) 129 [Despair] preys upon the vitals, like Prometheus's vulture. 1721Young Revenge iv. i, Give them the vultures, tear them all in pieces! 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. III. 59 The Vulture..is indelicately voracious, and seldom attacks living animals when it can be supplied with dead. 1834McMurtrie Cuvier's Anim. Kingd. 118 The vultures have eyes flush with the head, and reticulated tarsi,..an elongated beak,..and a greater or less portion of the head, or even of the neck divested of feathers. 1843Yarrell Brit. Birds I. 2 Vultures are most numerous in warm countries, where a high degree of temperature induces rapid decomposition. 1878B. Taylor Deukalion ii. v. 84 There wheels a vulture, giving to the blue The shade or sparkle of his slanted wings.
β1388Wyclif Job xxviii. 7 The iȝe of a vultur [v.r. vowtur], ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not. c1420Prose Life Alexander 71 In þe mornenynge arely þare come many fewlis als grete as wlturs, reed of colour. 1495Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xii. ii. 410 That egle..dredyth the Fultur. 1580G. Harvey Three Proper Lett. 36 A Vulturs smelling, Apes tasting, sight of an Eagle. 1638Mayne Lucian (1664) 282 When the Vultur in his crooked clawes Shall graspe the locust. 1667Milton P.L. iii. 431 As when a Vultur on Imaus bred..flies toward the Springs Of Ganges or Hydaspes. 1695Prior Ballad on Taking Namur ii, Too like a Vultur Boileau flies, Where sordid Interest shows the Prey. 1757W. Wilkie Epigon. i. 20 No doves are hatch'd beneath a vultur's wing. 1828–32Wesbster s.v., The vultur is one of the largest kinds of fowls.
γ1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 57 Seuen foules schewede hem to Remus, þat beeþ i-cleped vulterus. Ibid., Fourtene vulterus [v.r. vultres] schewed hem to Romulus. a1400–50Alexander 3945 Þan come a fliȝtir in of fowls..To vise on as vowtres. 1474Caxton Chesse i. i. (1883) 10 Thre honderd birdes that men calle wultres. 1495Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xix. cxv. 918 Wltrees egges be grete as Egles egges. 1565Cooper Thesaurus, Vultur,..a rauenous birde called a voulter or geyre. 1579Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 153 Doth not the Lyon for strength..excell man? Doth not the Eagle see clearer, the Vultur smel better? 1687Good Advice 44 Spurs, Claws and Bills that made her look more like a Vulter then a Dove.
b. With distinguishing terms.
The number of these is very large, and only some of the more important are here recorded. See also auriculated ppl. a., crane n.1 7, griffin1 4, Maltese a. 2, secretary n.1 7, sociable a. 1 b.
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 12 *Alpine Vulture: Vultur percnopterus. 1829Scott Anne of G. ii, One of this..flight chanced to be a lammer-geier, or Alpine vulture. 1896tr. Boas' Text Bk. Zool. 461 The small Alpine Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), with naked head and very long, thin beak.
1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 36 *American Vulture.
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 8 *Arabian V[ulture]. According to Edwards, the size exceeds that of a common eagle, by one third. 1855Orr's Circle Sci., Org. Nat. III. 374 The Vultur monachus, or Arabian Vulture.
1575Turberv. Falconrie 16 The *ashe-coloured Vulture is the most large byrde of praye that is to be founde. 1668Charleton Onomast. 64 Vultur Cinereus, the ash⁓coloured Vultur. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1824) II. 252 In this tribe we may range..the ash-coloured..vulture.
1750G. Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds III. 106 The *Bearded Vulture. This Bird is of the Bigness of an Eagle. 1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 13 From which circumstance the name of Bearded Vulture is particularly applied to the present species. 1882Encycl. Brit. XIV. 243/2 Lämmergeyer..or Bearded Vulture,..one of the grandest birds-of-prey of the Palæarctic Region.
1575Turberv. Falconrie 16 There are two sortes,..the ashe mayld, or *blacke Vulture, and the browne or whitish Vulture. 1601Holland Pliny x. vi. I. 274 The blacke vultures are the best. 1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 31 Black Vulture..This bird is described as larger than the Golden Vulture, and of a black colour. 1837Partington's Brit. Cycl. Nat. Hist. III. 825/2 The Black Vulture (C. atratus) is a darker and smaller species.
1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 10 *Californian Vulture. 1872Coues N. Amer. Birds 222 Californian Vulture. Brownish-black, lustrous above, paler below. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 302/1 Pseudogryphus, the great Californian Vulture.
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 9 *Carrion Vulture. The size of this species is about that of a Turkey. 1849Tennyson ‘You might have won’ 35 For whom the carrion vulture waits—To tear his heart! 1896tr. Boas' Text Bk. Zool. 461 The smaller Carrion Vulture (Cathartes).
a1672Willughby Ornith. (1678) 67 The *cinereous or ash⁓coloured Vulture. 1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 14 Cinereous V[ulture]..The size is that of an Eagle, or rather bigger. 1843Penny Cycl. XXVI. 470/1 The Cinereous Vulture is chiefly seen in the plains in winter.
1758G. Edwards Glean. Nat. Hist. 171 The *Crested or Coped Black Vulture..is a very large bird.
1837Partington's Brit. Cycl. Nat. Hist. III. 824/2 The *Eared Vulture (V. auricularis) is an African species of a blackish colour, with a fleshy crest on each side of the head under the openings of the ears.
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 13 *Egyptian V[ulture]..is said to be of a rufous ash-colour, spotted with brown. 1837Partington's Brit. Cycl. Nat. Hist. III. 825/2 Egyptian Vulture (P. leucocephalus)..also, from its abundance in Egypt, called ‘Pharaoh's chicken’. 1888Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 302/1 One of them [sc. Nephroninæ] is the so⁓called Egyptian Vulture or Pharaoh's Hen, Neophron percnopterus.
a1672Willughby Ornith. (1678) 67 margin, Our *Fulvous Vulture, like Bellonius his Chesnut one. 1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 27 The Fulvous or Golden Vulture is one of the largest of the genus, exceeding the size of the Golden Eagle. 1840Cuvier's Anim. Kingd. 165 The Fulvous Vulture..is the most widely-diffused species, inhabiting the mountainous parts of the whole ancient continent.
a1672Willughby Ornith. (1678) 67 Viewing the skin of the *Golden Vulture, sent me once out of the Alpine Country of the Grisons,..I thus described it. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1824) II. 252 The Golden Vulture seems to be the foremost of the kind. 1809[see fulvous vulture].
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 7 *King V[ulture].. is about the size of an hen Turkey. 1855Orr's Circle Sci., Org. Nat. III. 374 Another species of the genus Sarcorhamphus..is the King Vulture (S. papa), which is not uncommon in Brazil and Guiana.
1781Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. 19 *Tawny Vulture..inhabits Falkland Islands. 1837Partington's Brit. Cycl. Nat. Hist. III. 824/1 The Tawny Vulture (V. fulvus) is a large bird, and has been long known to natural history.
Ibid. 825/2 The *Turkey Vulture (C. aura) is another American species of smaller size. 1855Orr's Circle Sci., Org. Nat. III. 375 The common American Vulture is the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), or Turkey Buzzard.
1896tr. Boas' Text Bk. Zool. 461 The large *White-headed Vulture (Vultur fulvus).
c. king of the vultures, the king-vulture (Sarcorhamphus papa).
1743G. Edwards Nat. Hist. Birds I. 2 The King of the Vultures. This Bird is about the Bigness of a Hen-Turkey. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1824) II. 254 There is one of the kind, called the King of the Vultures, which from its extraordinary figure deserves a separate description. 1796Stedman Surinam II. xxvii. 299 The bird called the king of the vultures is not very common in Surinam. 1855Orr's Circle Sci., Org. Nat. III. 375 It is from this that he derives his title of the King of the Vultures.
2. fig.
a. Something which preys upon a person, the mind, etc., after the manner of a vulture; esp. a consuming or torturing passion.
Commonly in allusion to the punishment inflicted on Tityus (Odyss. xi. 576).
1582T. Watson Centurie of Love li, A Vultur worse then his teares all my vaines. 1588Shakes. Tit. A. v. ii. 30, I am Reuenge sent from th' infernall Kingdome, To ease the gnawing Vulture of the mind. a1631Donne Serm., Ps. xc. 14 (1640) 813 That fearfull Vulture, the Inquisition, hovers over them. 1639J. Taylor (Water P.) Summers Trav. (1873) 33 The Client having Tityus empty maw (His guts tormented with the Vulture Law). 1742Gray Eton 62 These shall the fury Passions tear, The vulturs of the mind, Disdainful Anger, pallid Fear, And Shame. 1816Byron Ch. Har. iii. lix, And could the ceaseless vultures cease to prey On self-condemning bosoms, it were here. 1861C. Reade Cloister & Hearth lxv, The bereaved heart lay still heavy as lead within his bosom; but now the dark vulture Remorse sat upon it rending it. 1883Macfadyen in Congregat. Year Bk. 77 This nation seems preyed upon by vultures of lust and superstition.
b. A person of a vile and rapacious disposition.
1603B. Jonson Sejanus iii. ii, Time shall mature..what we, with so good vultures, haue begunne. 1613Beaum. & Fl. Honest Man's Fort. ii. i, Ye dregs of baseness, vultures amongst men, That tyre upon the hearts of generous spirits. 1750Johnson Rambler No. 38 ⁋10 He..will be at last torn to pieces by the vultures that always hover over fortunes in decay. 1828Lytton Pelham III. ii, Before midnight I was in high fever; they sent for the vultures of physic—I was bled copiously. 1884Pall Mall G. 19 Sept. 4/2 Lord Ripon..showed that India was not merely the favourite hunting-ground of English vultures.
3. Astr. One or other of two northern constellations, distinguished as the falling vulture = lyra 2, harp n.1 3, and flying vulture = eagle n. 4.
1638Chilmead tr. Hues' Treat. Globes ii. iii. (1889) 53 The ninth is Gallina or Cygnus, the Hen or Swan, and is called in Arabique..the flying Vulture. 1673F. Lamb Acroscopium 6 The Harp, otherwise called the falling Grype, or Vulture. Ibid. 10 The Eagle, by some call'd the flying Grype or Vulture, consisting of 12 stars. 1901J. F. Hewitt Mythmaking Age i. i. 8 When Vega in the Constellation of the Vulture or Lyra became Pole Star.
4. attrib. and Comb.
a. Attrib. as vulture beak, vulture claw, vulture eye, vulture feather, etc., denoting either ‘of a vulture’ or ‘like that of a vulture’; also vulture-feather, a species of moth.
1834W. Howitt in Tait's Mag. I. 375/2 With a heart free from the *vulture-beak of care.
1867Morris Jason v. 255 Within her filthy *vulture-claws clutched tight.
1593A. Chute Beautie Dishonoured (1908) 110 When coward death..Lookes on her fayre face, with a *vultar eye. 1820Scott Monast. xxiv, Under the eagle, or rather the vulture eye of the Baron.
1832J. Rennie Consp. Butterfl. & M. 208 The *Vulture Feather (― Gryphipennella) found amongst grass. 1858Simmonds Dict. Trade, Vulture-feathers, feathers of species of Accipitres, imported from Bombay, and sold for stuffing beds, &c., the larger ones for making artificial flowers, &c. 1883Ibid., Vulture feathers, a commerical name for those of the Rhea of South America.
1885Rider Haggard King Solomon's Mines ix, She turned her bald *vulture-head towards us.
1854Poultry Chron. I. 128/2 *Vulture-hocks [in Cochin China cocks] are a matter of taste. 1855Ibid. III. 348/2 The boots, or as Shanghai fanciers would style it, the vulture hock, must be white. 1847Tennyson Princ. iv. 344 Thereat the Lady stretch'd a *vulture throat.
1871J. Hay Pike County Ball. (1880) 86 Cast from the hovering *vulture-wings of one dark thought of woe and doom.
b. Attrib. with nouns of quality or action.
1593A. Chute Beautie Dishonoured (1908) 105 To vultar greedinesse of an easie crowne. 1800Campbell Scene in Bavaria xiii, Who shuns a warring world, nor woos The vulture cover of its wing. 1806T. Maurice Fall Mogul ii. iv, All our treasures His vulture-grasp has seiz'd. 1821Shelley Hellas 940 Victorious Wrong, with vulture scream, Salutes the rising sun.
c. Appositive, also in fig. use (cf. sense 2).
1592Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 551 Whose vultur thought doth pitch the price so hie. a1639T. Carew Mediocritie in love Rej. ii, If it prove Disdaine, that torrent will devoure My Vulture-hopes. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) V. 85 The eagle kind, the hawk kind, the vulture kind. 1809Shaw Gen. Zool. VII. 2 The chief of the Vulture tribe..is undoubtedly the Condor. Ibid. 13 One of the principal distinctions between the Eagle and the Vulture kind. 1818Keats Endym. iii. 620 Cursed, cursed Circe! O vulture⁓witch, hast never heard of mercy? 1843T. Edmonston in Zoologist I. 38 The vulture-eagle lay in her own nest, bound, gagged, and powerless.
d. In instrumental and similative combs., as vulture-gnawn, vulture-hocked (see 4 a), vulture-like, vulture-rent, vulture-torn, vulture-tortured adjs.; vulture-wise adv.
1598Sylvester Du Bartas ii. ii. Colonies 298 The Vultur⁓rented Prometheus, 'mong the Greeks had fire invented. 1623G. Daniel Sonn. xv, To her that..laies to view My Vultur-gnawne hart open. 1644Digby Nat. Soul Concl. 456 The ravenous inclemency, and vulturelike cruelty. 1742Young Nt. Th. viii. 418 These rush upon thee; Thy vitals seize, and vultur-like, devour. 1743Francis tr. Hor., Odes ii. xiv. 10 Where vulture-tortured Tityus lies. 1826Blackw. Mag. XIX. 589 To be like poor Prometheus, vulture-torn. 1854Poultry Chron. II. 84/1 They are well booted, or as the Shanghae fanciers style it, ‘Vulture-hocked’. 1892Stevenson & Osbourne Wrecker xiii. 206 Towards her the taut Norah Creina, vulture-wise, wriggled to windward: come from so far to pick her bones. 1906W. de la Mare Poems 82 This beast in one flat hand clasped vulture-wise A glitt'ring image.
▸ attrib. Finance (orig. and chiefly U.S.). Chiefly depreciative. Of or relating to investment in the assets of companies which are performing poorly and may therefore be undervalued; of or relating to investment in the debts of failing or bankrupt companies with substantial tangible assets. Usu. in vulture fund, vulture investor. Cf. vulture capitalist n. at Additions.
1985Wall St. Jrnl. 27 Nov. 27/1 The vulture funds obviously are looking at the troubled loan portfolios held by savings and loan associations and banks as a prime source of properties. 1990Washington Post 18 Mar. h1 ‘Vulture’ investors who speculate in the stocks and bonds of ailing companies. 1997Jrnl. Econ. Lit. 35 1691/2 The authors..find positive abnormal returns for the target's common stock and bonds in the two days surrounding the announcement of a vulture purchase of public debt or equity. 2001Business Week 20–27 Aug. 162 One of the best tech bets for now could be the ‘vulture funds’ that are snapping up debt of disconnected telecoms.
▸ vulture capitalist n.after venture capitalist n. at venture n. Compounds Finance (orig. and chiefly U.S.) (a) derogatory = venture capitalist n. at venture n. Compounds; (b) chiefly depreciative an investor in the assets or debts of failing companies; = vulture investor at Additions.
1978Washington Post 1 Oct. m2/3 In some circles, venture capitalists are unaffectionately referred to as ‘*vulture capitalists’. 1986Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard 8 Oct. d9/2 R.D. Smith & Co. is a ‘vulture capitalist’. The Manhattan-based investment firm specializes in stocks of distressed companies. 2003M. Power Rethinking Devel. Geographies x. 228 There are no existing mechanisms whatsoever for tackling the ‘vulture capitalists’.
▪ II. ˈvulture, v.
[f. the n.]
trans. To tear like a vulture. Also intr. with down, to descend like a vulture.
1628Feltham Resolves ii. [i.] xxv. 80 Though pleasure merries the Sences for a while: yet horror after vultures the vnconsuming heart. 1922Joyce Ulysses 47 He rooted in the sand..vulturing the dead. 1948M. Allingham More Work for Undertaker xiii. 164 The tax harpies vultured down for death duties. 1955Newsweek 10 Jan. 49/1 Contestants had vultured the library's reference and guidebooks for the names of the mystery towns. 1977L. Gordon Eliot's Early Years 147 From ‘Proteus’ came the dog vulturing the dead in part I of The Waste Land.
Hence ˈvultured ppl. a. (poet.).
1946Dylan Thomas Deaths & Entrances 47 O spiral of ascension From the vultured urn Of the morning Of man. |