noctule

[ nok-chool ]

noun

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

noctule

/ ˈnɒktjuːl /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of noctule¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of noctule¹

C18: probably from Late Latin noctula small owl, from Latin noctua night owl

Example Sentences

Perhaps the most worrisome consequence of the Rose-ringed Parakeets is that they outcompete and kill a type of threatened bat called the greater noctule at the site of their largest known colony in Europe—an urban park in the Spanish city of Seville.

From Scientific American

A tiny common noctule bat wearing the latest in sensor fashion.

From The Verge

In an old stone barn on an organic farm in Devon, England, live lesser horseshoe bats, noctule bats, whiskered bats, and more.

From National Geographic

Noctule bat mothers teach their pups where the colony’s roost is by guiding them while both are in flight.

From Washington Post

The greater noctule is the largest bat in Europe.

From New York Times