Dictionary.com

nighthawk

[ nahyt-hawk ]
/ ˈnaɪtˌhɔk /
Save This Word!
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.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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. 2021

Words related to nighthawk

libertine, rake, waster, lecher, wastrel, reprobate, prodigal, degenerate, operator, good-for-nothing, debauchee, swinger, abandoned, corrupt, debauched, depraved, dissipated, evil, fast, fast and loose

Example sentences from the Web for nighthawk

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
Hate Typos? Get Grammar Coach