ca·thar·tine I. \kəˈthärd.ˌīn, ˈkathərˌtīn\adjective Etymology: New Latin Cathartes + English -ine : of or relating to the genus Cathartes or to the typical vultures < the distinctive features of the cathartine head > — compare accipitrine, buteonine II. noun (-s) : a bird of the genus Cathartes; broadly: a vulture or vulturelike member of the family Cathartidae