goatsucker

[goht-suhk-er]

noun

1. nightjar.

goatsucker

/ ˈɡəʊtˌsʌkə /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): nightjar. any nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, esp Caprimulgus europaeus ( European nightjar ): order Caprimulgiformes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of goatsucker¹

1605–15; so called because formerly believed to suck the milk of goats; translation of Latin caprimulgus, itself translation of Greek aigothḗlas

Example Sentences

For instance, goatsuckers, a group of birds that includes the whippoorwill, do not milk goats, Aristotle’s declaration to the contrary notwithstanding.

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Nightjars, a kind of nighthawk also known as goatsuckers, sat on the roads that had been baked by the day’s sun to stay warm in the chilly night.

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First referring it to the genus Caprimulgus, its original describer soon saw that it was no true goatsucker.

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Both the nighthawk and the whip-poor-will belong to the goatsucker family.

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A goatsucker may be confused with a swallow, and a swallow may pass as a tern.

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