osprey

英 ['ɒsprɪ; -preɪ] 美['ɑspre]

TOEFL畅通词汇

复数: ospreys;

osprey 鱼鹰

来自古法语ospres,来自拉丁语ossifraga,来自拉丁语os,骨头，词源同osseous,ossify,-frag,碎，破开，词源同break,fragment.因这种鹰从高空将骨头扔在地上破开以吸取骨头中的骨髓而得名。

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 praedæ, 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.: 像秃鹰、游隼、鹭鸶这样的鸟类几乎消失殆尽.

3. Never, even among animals, does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey.: 在动物中, 一个生来要成为白鸽的生物是从来不会变成猛禽的.

4. Bald eagles snatch fish at the water surface, rob osprey of fish, and eat carrion.: 白头海雕常掠过水面捕鱼, 并抢夺鹗抓到的鱼, 也吃腐肉.

5. At that time, an osprey swims quickly, went to abdomen of its get down readily.: 这时候, 一只鱼鹰迅速游过来, 一口把它吞下肚去了.