little owl

noun

1. a small, European owl, Athene noctua, often portrayed in art with the goddess Athena.

little owl

noun

1. a small Old World owl, Athene noctua, having a speckled brown plumage and flattish head

Word History and Origins

Origin of little owl¹

First recorded in 1550–60

Example Sentences

The soft hoot of a little owl came through the dusk, and between its calls the men's voices rose and fell.

From Project Gutenberg

In a tower of the old fort lived a pair of the Eastern little owl (Athene bactriana), which appeared to live principally on voles.

From Project Gutenberg

Wherever Pezpeza goes, the little owl always comes and sits near-by upon some convenient mound.

From Project Gutenberg

To you and me she would have seemed the merest little brown sprout of a thing, almost nothing but two big eyes—like a little owl.

From Project Gutenberg

Like the Little Owl, it affects the neighbourhood of man, though it may be found in ruins and similar localities.

From Project Gutenberg