owl

[ oul ]

/ aʊl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR owl ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of numerous, chiefly nocturnal birds of prey, of the order Strigiformes, having a broad head with large, forward-directed eyes that are usually surrounded by disks of modified feathers: many populations are diminishing owing to loss of habitat.

one of a breed of domestic pigeons having an owllike appearance.

night owl.

a person of owllike solemnity or appearance.

adjective

operating late at night or all night: an owl train.

Nearby words

Origin of owl

before 900; Middle English oule, Old English ūle; cognate with Low German ūle, Dutch uil; akin to German Eule, Old Norse ugla

Related formsowl·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for owl

This video remedies that injustice, showcasing an owl doing a butterfly stroke in Lake Michigan.
Swimming Owls, Jane Krakowski’s Peter Pan Live! Audition, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fernandez-Duque discovered that owl monkeys are the only reliably monogamous mammal species.
P.J. on the Owl-Monkey Project and the Science of Chick Flicks|P. J. O’Rourke|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Owl monkey offspring get an inordinate amount of care from their fathers.
P.J. on the Owl-Monkey Project and the Science of Chick Flicks|P. J. O’Rourke|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Heads the Owl Monkey Project, which has been studying owl monkeys in Argentina for 18 years.
P.J. on the Owl-Monkey Project and the Science of Chick Flicks|P. J. O’Rourke|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Keeping the hours of an owl, he does most of the location scouting and exploration.
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners|Nina Strochlic|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When the owl stops they gather round again and go through the same performance more excitedly than before.
Ways of Wood Folk|William J. Long
On January 15, 1950, an owl attacked an opossum caught in a live-trap.
Ecology of the Opossum on a Natural Area in Northeastern Kansas|Henry S. Fitch
Then from the little clump of trees came the hoot of an owl that caused him to straighten up quickly and to listen intently.
The Cave of Gold|Everett McNeil
The owl, which the Indians were quite sure contained the soul of some great dead warrior, followed and continually menaced them.
The Keepers of the Trail|Joseph A. Altsheler
And because they were so big, and because he could roll them, there was very little going on that Mr. Owl didn't see.
Mother West Wind "How" Stories|Thornton W. Burgess

British Dictionary definitions for owl

owl

/ (aʊl) /

noun

any nocturnal bird of prey of the order Strigiformes, having large front-facing eyes, a small hooked bill, soft feathers, and a short neck

any of various breeds of owl-like fancy domestic pigeon (esp the African owl, Chinese owl, and English owl)

a person who looks or behaves like an owl, esp in having a solemn manner

Derived Formsowl-like, adjective

Word Origin for owl

Old English ūle; related to Dutch uil, Old High German ūwila, Old Norse ugla

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

Word Origin and History for owl

owl

Old English ule "owl," from Proto-Germanic *uwwalon- (cf. Middle Dutch, Dutch uil, Old High German uwila, German Eule, Old Norse ugla), a diminutive of PIE root *u(wa)l-, which is imitative of a wail or an owl's hoot (cf. Latin ulula "owl;" cf. also ululation). The bird was employed proverbially and figuratively in reference to nocturnal habits, ugliness, and appearance of gravity and wisdom (often ironic).

Idioms and Phrases with owl

owl

see night owl.

owl

noun

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of owl

Examples from the Web for owl

owl

noun

Word Origin for owl

owl

owl