ossifrage

[ os-uh-frij ]
/ ˈɒs ə frɪdʒ /

noun

the lammergeier.
Archaic. the osprey.

Origin of ossifrage

1595–1605; < Latin ossifraga sea eagle, literally, bone-breaker (noun use of feminine of ossifragus bone-breaking), equivalent to ossi- (combining form of os) bone + frag-, variant stem of frangere to break + -a nominative singular feminine noun and adj. ending

Words nearby ossifrage

ossietzky, ossiferous, ossific, ossification, ossified, ossifrage, ossify, ossining, osso bucco, ossobuco, ossuarium

Example sentences from the Web for ossifrage

  • The word is said to be a corruption of Ossifrage, the "bone-breaker."

    An Australian Bird Book |John Albert Leach

  • These are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray.

    Bible Animals; |J. G. Wood

  • These are they of which ye shall not eat; the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey.

    Bible Animals; |J. G. Wood

British Dictionary definitions for ossifrage

ossifrage
/ (ˈɒsɪfrɪdʒ, -ˌfreɪdʒ) /

noun

an archaic name for lammergeier, osprey (def. 1)

Word Origin for ossifrage

C17: from Latin ossifraga sea eagle; see osprey