ossifrage

pronunciation

How to pronounce ossifrage in British English: UK ['ɒsɪfrɪdʒ]word uk audio image

How to pronounce ossifrage in American English: US ['ɒsɪfrɪdʒ] word us audio image

Word Origin

ossifrage (n.)
"sea-eagle, osprey," c. 1600, from Latin ossifraga "vulture," fem. of ossifragus, literally "bone-breaker," from ossifragus (adj.) "bone-breaking," from os (genitive ossis) "bone" (see osseous) + stem of frangere "to break" (see fraction). By this name Pliny meant the lammergeier (from German, literally "lamb-vulture"), a very large Old World vulture that swallows and digests bones and was believed also to drop them from aloft to break them and get at the marrow. But in England and France, the word was transferred to the osprey, perhaps on similarity of sound between the two words.