little owl

American

Also owlet

noun

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

little owl British

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of little owl

First recorded in 1550–60

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.

This delightful Christmas tale is the true story of a little owl dubbed Rockefeller.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2021

Soon neighbours started calling round with all manner of injured birds, and for several years Zalasiewicz shared his bedroom with a little owl and a kestrel.

From The Guardian • May 30, 2019

Don’t let its cuteness fool you: the little owl from this viral video is actually a fearsome, rodent-eating predator.

From National Geographic • Jul. 27, 2015

In the same category, patience was the key to this highly commended image of little owl chicks titled 'The three Stooges'.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2013

The little owl brings Frightful back to mind.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023