aasvogel
n. countablen. a large bird that eats dead animals, like a vulture. It is a word used mostly in South Africa to describe these birds of prey.
n. a vulture, specifically one found in southern Africa. Borrowed from Afrikaans, it is primarily used in South African English or in a literary context to evoke a specific regional setting.
The aasvogel circled high above the dry plains.
As the sun rose over the veld, a lone aasvogel landed near the remains of the lion's kill.
In the stark landscape of the Karoo, the sight of an aasvogel serves as a grim reminder of the unforgiving cycle of life and death in the wilderness.
Borrowed from Afrikaans aasvogel (“vulture”) (obsolete form of aasvoël), from Dutch aasvogel, from aas (“carrion”) + vogel (“bird”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Primarily restricted to South African English or historical and literary accounts of the region.
Last updated May 2, 2026