owl

[ oul ]

/ aʊl /

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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.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM owl

owllike, adjective

Words nearby owl

ower, Owerri, OWI, owie, owing, owl, owl butterfly, owlet, owlet moth, owlet nightjar, owlish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use owl in a sentence

Either the resident fish owls were not interested in the frozen marine fish we offered as lures or the birds were unwilling to walk under the suspicious netted domes to investigate them.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
We’d still made some progress this year, even if we hadn’t caught any owls.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
The owl would see the fish, approach for a closer look, and get caught.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
It was right around this time, when I’d come to terms with our failures, that we caught our first owl.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science

As a result, this abundant species is a critical resource for fish owls in winter.
The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl|Jonathan Slaght|August 28, 2020|Popular-Science
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
The old owl no longer hooted, and the water-oaks had ceased to moan as they bent their heads.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Now under the ivy-laden branches of a tall old tree an owl startles them with its shriek.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
He peers out through his black-rimmed eyeglasses with the solemnity of an owl—but you should hear his songs!
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith
Others sit, on the full stare, eyes fixed as those of an owl, upon the speaker.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness|Florence Hartley
A contemporary pamphleteer compared him to an owl in the sunshine pursued and pecked to death by flights of tiny birds.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

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 forms of owl

owl-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

Other Idioms and Phrases with owl

owl

see night owl.