nightjar

[ nahyt-jahr ]
/ ˈnaɪtˌdʒɑr /

noun

a nocturnal European bird, Caprimulgus europaeus, of the family Caprimulgidae, having a short bill and a wide mouth and feeding on insects captured in the air.
Also called goatsucker. any other nocturnal or crepuscular bird of the family Caprimulgidae.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT 2ND-3RD GRADE VOCAB FROM BOOKS!

Are you learning new vocabulary? Or do you just have an interest in words? Either way, this quiz is for you.
Question 1 of 10
orchard
body of land completely surrounded by water
group of cultivated fruit trees
long mournful cry
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nightjar

1620–30; night + jar2 (from its harsh cry)

Words nearby nightjar

nighthawk, nightie, nightingale, nightingale ward, nightingale, florence, nightjar, nightlife, nightlong, nightly, nightmare, nightmarish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for nightjar

British Dictionary definitions for nightjar

nightjar
/ (ˈnaɪtˌdʒɑː) /

noun

any nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, esp Caprimulgus europaeus (European nightjar): order Caprimulgiformes. They have a cryptic plumage and large eyes and feed on insects

Word Origin for nightjar

C17: night + jar ², so called from its discordant cry
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