bald buzzard

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Bald \Bald\ (b[add]ld), a. [OE. balled, ballid, perh. the p. p. of ball to reduce to the roundness or smoothness of a ball, by removing hair. [root]85. But cf. W. bali whiteness in a horse's forehead.]

1.Destitute of the natural or common covering on the head or top, as of hair, feathers, foliage, trees, etc.; as, a bald head; a bald oak. [1913 Webster]

On the bald top of an eminence.— Wordsworth.[1913 Webster]

2.Destitute of ornament; unadorned; bare; literal. [1913 Webster]

In the preface to his own bald translation.— Dryden.[1913 Webster]

3.Undisguised. " Bald egotism." --Lowell. [1913 Webster]

4.Destitute of dignity or value; paltry; mean. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

5.(Bot.) Destitute of a beard or awn; as, bald wheat. [1913 Webster]

6.(Zool.) (a) Destitute of the natural covering. (b) Marked with a white spot on the head; bald-faced. [1913 Webster]

Bald buzzard (Zool.), the fishhawk or osprey.

Bald coot (Zool.), a name of the European coot (Fulica atra), alluding to the bare patch on the front of the head. [1913 Webster]

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]

Fishhawk \Fish"hawk`\, n. (Zool.) The osprey (Pandion halia["e]tus), found both in Europe and America; -- so called because it plunges into the water and seizes fishes in its talons. Called also fishing eagle, and bald buzzard. [1913 Webster]