nighthawk

American  

[nahyt-hawk] / ˈnaɪtˌhɔk /

noun

1. any of several longwinged, American goatsuckers of the genus Chordeiles, related to the whippoorwill, especially C. minor, having variegated black, white, and buff plumage.

2. the European goatsucker or nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus.

3. Informal. a person who is habitually up or moving about late at night; night owl.

---

nighthawk British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌhɔːk /

noun

1. Also called: bullbat.   mosquito hawk.  any American nightjar of the genus Chordeiles and related genera, having a dark plumage and, in the male, white patches on the wings and tail

2. informal another name for night owl

---

Etymology

Origin of nighthawk

First recorded in 1605–15; night + hawk ¹

Example Sentences

Instead of a nightwatchman, they were calling him the "nighthawk".

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2022

I offered my palm, and Kelly shook my hand as he and the nighthawk introduced themselves.

From Washington Post • Sep. 29, 2017

Even a clutch of common nighthawk eggs, camouflaged in the sand, catches your eye.

From New York Times • Jun. 27, 2017

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.

From Scientific American • Feb. 22, 2013

Owls were flying this night, shrieking to start their prey, and a nighthawk made soft rhythmic whoops in the distance.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck