barn owl

American  

noun

1. a yellowish-brown and white owl, Tyto alba, often inhabiting barns and other buildings.

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barn owl British  

noun

1. any owl of the genus Tyto , esp T. alba , having a pale brown and white plumage, long slender legs, and a heart-shaped face: family Tytonidae

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Etymology

Origin of barn owl

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

barn owl

Most of Ulster Wildlife's barn owl records come from the east of Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

"The piece of its upper arm bone that we have is about 4 inches long, so the entire dinosaur probably had something like a four-foot wingspan, around the size of a barn owl."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026

The second category of birds feature: the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the common kingfisher, the Eurasian curlew, the great spotted woodpecker, and the white-tailed eagle.

From BBC ● Jun. 2, 2026

For those who struggle to tell a bushtit from a barn owl, the team has assembled resources to help distinguish between common local species and can answer individual questions via email.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2025

Harold was the smallest barn owl nestling, and a great worrier.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate