Osprey
WordNet

noun


(1)   Large harmless hawk found worldwide that feeds on fish and builds a bulky nest often occupied for years
WiktionaryText

English


Etymology


From Late Middle English ospray from .

Noun



  1. 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.
    • 1594: I will provide thee of a princely osprey. — Peele, Battle of Alcazar
    • c. 1612-13: But (oh Jove!) your actions, / Soon as they move, as ospreys do the fish, / Subdue before they touch. — Shakespeare, Fletcher, Two Noble Kinsmen

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)
 
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