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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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of nighthawk

First recorded in 1605–15; night + hawk¹

Words nearby nighthawk

night editor, nightfall, night fighter, nightglow, nightgown, nighthawk, night heron, nightie, nightingale, Nightingale, Florence, Nightingale ward

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nighthawk in a sentence

There are some birds with really characteristic flight patterns that you can pick out—we can see nighthawks swoop up and down.
A moon-watching robot can demystify what migrating birds do at night|Charlotte Hu|February 25, 2022|Popular-Science
But it was Mr. Nighthawk, making that odd, booming sound of his.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey
The more he thought about Mr. Nighthawk the more he wanted to meet him.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey
Of course it was very rude for Mr. Nighthawk to speak in such a way.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey

Then Mr. Nighthawk left his perch and climbed up into the sky.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey
And at last Kiddie Katydid told him that it was Mr. Nighthawk that he had heard.
The Tale of Chirpy Cricket|Arthur Scott Bailey

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

nighthawk

Origin of nighthawk

Words nearby nighthawk

Words related to nighthawk

How to use nighthawk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nighthawk