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.

We wait in the hopes of seeing a little owl that Graeme has photographed before.

From BBC • Aug. 4, 2024

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

From Seattle Times • Nov. 9, 2021

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

The little owl preys mainly on insects and earthworms and can often be found perched on prominent places, such as telegraph poles and fenceposts as well as mature parkland trees.

From The Guardian • Dec. 2, 2010

A little owl called “Kee-wik, kee-wik” and something—a vole or a shrew—gave a sudden squeal.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

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