osprey

英 ['?spr?; -pre?] 美['ɑspre]

TOEFL暢通詞匯

復數:?ospreys;

osprey 魚鷹

來自古法語ospres,來自拉丁語ossifraga,來自拉丁語os,骨頭，詞源同osseous,ossify,-frag,碎，破開，詞源同break,fragment.因這種鷹從高空將骨頭扔在地上破開以吸取骨頭中的骨髓而得名。

osprey: osprey: [15] Etymologically, the osprey is simply a ‘bird of prey’. Its name comes from ospreit, the Old French descendant of Vulgar Latin *avispreda, which in turn was a conflation of Latin avis praedae ‘bird of prey’ (avis is the source of English augur, auspice, aviary, and aviation, and praeda is the ancestor of English prey).

The specific association with the ‘osprey’ came about in Old French through confusion with the coincidentally similar osfraie ‘osprey’. This meant etymologically ‘bone-breaker’. It came from Latin ossifraga, a compound formed from os ‘bone’ (source of English ossify [18]) and frangere ‘break’ (source of English fracture, fragment, etc).

It was originally applied to the lammergeier, a large vulture, in allusion to its habit of dropping its prey from a great height on to rocks beneath in order to break its bones, but was subsequently also used for the osprey.
=> aviary, prey
osprey (n.): fishing hawk, mid-15c., from Anglo-French ospriet, from Medieval Latin avis prede "bird of prey," from Latin avis praed?, a generic term apparently confused with this specific bird in Old French on its similarity to ossifrage.

2. Species like the bald eagle, peregrine falcon and osprey nearly disappeared.: 像禿鷹、游隼、鷺鷥這樣的鳥類幾乎消失殆盡.

3. Never, even among animals, does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey.: 在動物中, 一個生來要成為白鴿的生物是從來不會變成猛禽的.

4. Bald eagles snatch fish at the water surface, rob osprey of fish, and eat carrion.: 白頭海雕常掠過水面捕魚, 并搶奪鶚抓到的魚, 也吃腐肉.

5. At that time, an osprey swims quickly, went to abdomen of its get down readily.: 這時候, 一只魚鷹迅速游過來, 一口把它吞下肚去了.