chuck-will's-widow

[ chuhk-wilz-wid-oh ]

/ ˈtʃʌk wɪlzˈwɪd oʊ /

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noun

a goatsucker, Caprimulgus carolinensis, of the southern U.S., resembling the whippoorwill but larger.

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Origin of chuck-will's-widow

First recorded in 1785–95; fanciful representation of its incessant call

Words nearby chuck-will's-widow

chucklehead, chuck off, chuck out, chuck wagon, chuckwalla, chuck-will's-widow, chucky, chuddar, chuddies, chuddy, Chudskoye Ozero

How to use chuck-will's-widow in a sentence

That was accomplished by cops such as the one whose picture was clutched so tightly by his widow on Sunday.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“A guy drives up in a 2008 Mercedes, brand new,” Harry S. Connelly Jr. says in the video, according to the Times.
Are Police Stealing People’s Property?|Joan Blades, Matt Kibbe|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Personal hotspots can get speeds of up to 60 Mb/s down, whereas hotel Wi-Fi can be as slow as 1.5 Mb/s,” Sesar said.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Earlier in the segment, host Chuck Todd had asked him if he understood and acknowledged that black people have a fear of police.
Memo to Cops: Criticisms Aren’t Attacks|Michael Tomasky|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In our headlong quest for a legally perfect society, we don’t take the time to take stock of what‘s been created so far.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Do not the widow's tears run down the cheek, and her cry against him that causeth them to fall?
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
And with some expressions of mutual good-will and interest, master and man separated.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
Sleek finds it far harder work than fortune-making; but he pursues his Will-o'-the-Wisp with untiring energy.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
For this use of the voice in the special service of will-power, or propelling force, it is necessary first to test its freedom.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The Marshals were inclined to attribute their disgrace to the ill-will of Berthier and not to the temper of Napoleon.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

British Dictionary definitions for chuck-will's-widow

chuck-will's-widow

noun

a large North American nightjar, Caprimulgus carolinensis, similar to the whippoorwill

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