owl
any of numerous, chiefly nocturnal birds of prey, of the order Strigiformes, having a broad head with large, forward-directed eyes that are usually surrounded by disks of modified feathers: many populations are diminishing owing to loss of habitat.
one of a breed of domestic pigeons having an owllike appearance.
a person of owllike solemnity or appearance.
operating late at night or all night: an owl train.
Origin of owl
1Other words from owl
- owllike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use owl in a sentence
“As much as I love sunny meadows and bunnies, I also love spooky forests with owls,” she says.
The Wonderful Weirdness of Christine McConnell, Queen of Creepy Cookies | Tim Teeman | July 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe streets were bustling with Satmar night owls, who stroll Lee Avenue until the early morning hours.
How One Sex Abuse Case Tore Apart the Williamsburg Hasidim | Allison Yarrow | August 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd owls shall answer one another there, in the houses thereof, and sirens in the temples of pleasure.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousTheir deeper recesses were given up to owls and bats, and nearer the entrance the prowling fox or jackal found a covert.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry WithrowWhen the owls beat their wings and gave the mating call and hoot, it was like a foam of noise rising over a river of silence.
Kari the Elephant | Dhan Gopal Mukerji
I could hear the owls and the wolves away off in the woods, and it seemed terrible still.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete | Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)The three men stood stock still, and gazed like owls solemnly into the dark.
Letters of Lt.-Col. George Brenton Laurie | George Brenton Laurie
British Dictionary definitions for owl
/ (aʊl) /
any nocturnal bird of prey of the order Strigiformes, having large front-facing eyes, a small hooked bill, soft feathers, and a short neck
any of various breeds of owl-like fancy domestic pigeon (esp the African owl, Chinese owl, and English owl)
a person who looks or behaves like an owl, esp in having a solemn manner
Origin of owl
1Derived forms of owl
- owl-like, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with owl
see night owl.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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