noctule

American

[nok-chool] / ˈnɒk tʃul /

noun

a large reddish insectivorous bat, Nyctalus noctula, common to Europe and Asia.

noctule British

/ ˈnɒktjuːl /

noun

any of several large Old World insectivorous bats of the genus Nyctalus, esp N. noctula: family Vespertilionidae

"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

Etymology

Origin of noctule

1765–75; < French < Italian nottola a bat, owl ≪ Latin noctua night owl. See noctuid, -ule

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The greater noctule is extremely rare and endangered in many regions due to the loss of forest habitats.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

Nearly 25 years ago, Ibáñez found bird feathers in greater noctule droppings and spent years gathering evidence that these bats were indeed bird predators.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

Finally, with new miniature biologgers from Aarhus University -- and just as Ibáñez neared retirement -- the team succeeded in recording a greater noctule hunting and eating a bird in flight.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

He was also the first to describe the harvest mouse and noctule bat.

From The Guardian • May 11, 2018

A hibernating noctule bat, when similarly treated, survived sixteen minutes’ immersion.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023