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nighthawk

[ nahyt-hawk ]
/ ˈnaɪtˌhɔk /
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See synonyms for: nighthawk / nighthawks on Thesaurus.com

noun
any of several longwinged, American goatsuckers of the genus Chordeiles, related to the whippoorwill, especially C. minor, having variegated black, white, and buff plumage.
the European goatsucker or nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus.
Informal. a person who is habitually up or moving about late at night; night owl.
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Origin of nighthawk

First recorded in 1605–15; night + hawk1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nighthawk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nighthawk

nighthawk
/ (ˈnaɪtˌhɔːk) /

noun
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
informal another name for night owl
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
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