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tu-whit tu-whoo

American  
[too-hwit too-hwoo, too-wit too-woo] / tʊˈʰwɪt tʊˈʰwu, tʊˈwɪt tʊˈwu /

noun

  1. (imitation of the cry of an owl).

tu-whit tu-whoo British  
/ təˈwɪt təˈwuː /

interjection

  1. an imitation or representation of the sound made by an owl

"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

Etymology

Origin of tu-whit tu-whoo

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The moon went under a ragged cloud,   The owl cried out of the ruined wall, Slow and solemn, distinct and loud,   His melancholy call: Tu-whit, tu-whit, tu-whoo!

From The Coming of the Princess and Other Poems by MacLean, Kate Seymour

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.