owl

[ oul ]
See synonyms for owl on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. 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.

  2. one of a breed of domestic pigeons having an owllike appearance.

  1. a person of owllike solemnity or appearance.

adjective
  1. operating late at night or all night: an owl train.

Origin of owl

1
before 900; Middle English oule,Old English ūle; cognate with Low German ūle,Dutch uil; akin to German Eule,Old Norse ugla

Other 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

British Dictionary definitions for owl

owl

/ (aʊl) /


noun
  1. any nocturnal bird of prey of the order Strigiformes, having large front-facing eyes, a small hooked bill, soft feathers, and a short neck

  2. any of various breeds of owl-like fancy domestic pigeon (esp the African owl, Chinese owl, and English owl)

  1. a person who looks or behaves like an owl, esp in having a solemn manner

Origin of owl

1
Old English ūle; related to Dutch uil, Old High German ūwila, Old Norse ugla

Derived 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

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.