The Collaborative International Dictionary
Turkey \Tur"key\, n.; pl. Turkeys. [So called because it was formerly erroneously believed that it came originally from Turkey: cf. F. Turquie Turkey. See Turk.] (Zo["o]l.) Any large American gallinaceous bird belonging to the genus Meleagris, especially the North American wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo), and the domestic turkey, which was probably derived from the Mexican wild turkey, but had been domesticated by the Indians long before the discovery of America.
Note: The Mexican wild turkey is now considered a variety of the northern species (var. Mexicana). Its tall feathers and coverts are tipped with white instead of brownish chestnut, and its flesh is white. The Central American, or ocellated, turkey ( Meleagris ocellata) is more elegantly colored than the common species. See under Ocellated. The Australian, or native, turkey is a bustard ( Choriotis australis). See under Native.
Turkey beard (Bot.), a name of certain American perennial liliaceous herbs of the genus Xerophyllum. They have a dense tuft of hard, narrowly linear radical leaves, and a long raceme of small whitish flowers. Also called turkey's beard.
Turkey berry (Bot.), a West Indian name for the fruit of certain kinds of nightshade ( Solanum mammosum, and Solanum torvum).
Turkey bird (Zo["o]l.), the wryneck. So called because it erects and ruffles the feathers of its neck when disturbed. [Prov. Eng.]
Turkey buzzard (Zo["o]l.), a black or nearly black buzzard ( Cathartes aura), abundant in the Southern United States. It is so called because its naked and warty head and neck resemble those of a turkey. Its is noted for its high and graceful flight. Called also turkey vulture.
Turkey cock (Zo["o]l.), a male turkey.
Turkey hen (Zo["o]l.), a female turkey.
Turkey pout (Zo["o]l.), a young turkey. [R.]
Turkey vulture (Zo["o]l.), the turkey buzzard.
WordNet
n. common in South America and Central America and southern United States [syn: buzzard, turkey vulture, Cathartes aura]
Usage examples of "turkey buzzard".
He had a long neck, and when he turned like that he reminded me of a turkey buzzard.
He put it into his coat pocket and watched a turkey buzzard a thousand feet up, circling.
I just paid some old injun three thousand bucks to tell me that my spirit guide is a turkey buzzard!
The whole time he worked with the shovel, he had a feeling that every turkey buzzard in Florida was wheeling in the sky overhead, waiting to make a smorgasbord of Lemus' remains.
The squadron stood insensate, bereft of everything human but Doc Daneeka, who roosted dolorously like a shivering turkey buzzard beside the closed door of the medical tent, his stuffed nose jabbing away in thirsting futility at the hazy sunlight streaming down around him.
A shadow glided across Milo's path and he glanced up at a wide-banking turkey buzzard, one of an increasing number that were awaiting die departure of the living from the cornfield which was to be their feasting ground.
I went outside and started to open the car door, then veered across the road, where Roy Stiver was sitting in a rocking chair in front of his antiques store, waiting like a turkey buzzard for some hapless tourist to pull up.
And then Tommy saw the significance in the turkey buzzard's downward spiraling.
When he came out, it occurred to me that I looked pretty strange -- a little crazy, you get right down to it -- sitting in the buggy wrapped in blankets, sharing heated-up leftovers of last night's supper roast with a great raven the size of a turkey buzzard.