night owl

American  

[nahyt oul] / ˈnaɪt ˌaʊl /

noun

Informal.

1. a person who often stays up late at night; nighthawk.

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night owl British  

noun

1. informal a person who is or prefers to be up and about late at night

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night owl Idioms  

1. A person who habitually stays up late and is active at night, as in You can call her after midnight, for she's a night owl. This colloquial term, originally used in the late 1500s for an owl that is active at night, was transferred to nocturnal human beings in the mid-1800s.

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Etymology

Origin of night owl

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Night owl, from thy words I think that thou art a companion in suffering.

From Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know by Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith