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Synonyms

owl

American  
[oul] / aʊl /

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.

  3. night owl.

  4. a person of owllike solemnity or appearance.

adjective

  1. operating late at night or all night.

    an owl train.
owl British  
/ 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 )

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

"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
owl Idioms  

  1. see night owl.

Other Word Forms

  • owl-like adjective
  • owllike adjective

Etymology

Origin of owl

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

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.

One owl was found napping – in an antiques store.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

The Oxford Companion to Art, an old owl distilled in its praise, calls the English artist Thomas Gainsborough “an independent and original genius.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

We were soon greeted by Jack Levenberg, a docent and naturalist, with Sierra, a great horned owl, perched on his gloved hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

The day after high school graduation, Dolly boarded the first bus for Nashville, where record producers said she sounded like a screech owl and was too country to sing country music.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2026

What Duane did not know, but which I will tell you right now, is that before that moment, the owl had never been called See-See or C.C.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

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.