Examples Word Origin
See more synonyms for owl on Thesaurus.com 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. Show More
operating late at night or all night: an owl train. Show More
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 forms owl·like , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for owl burglar ,
sniper ,
pickpocket ,
bandit ,
crook ,
swindler ,
criminal ,
pirate ,
robber ,
mugger ,
thief ,
prowler ,
clip ,
cheat ,
hijacker ,
punk ,
plunderer ,
kleptomaniac ,
pilferer ,
larcenist Examples from the Web for owl Contemporary Examples of owl This video remedies that injustice, showcasing an owl doing a butterfly stroke in Lake Michigan.
Fernandez-Duque discovered that owl monkeys are the only reliably monogamous mammal species.
Owl monkey offspring get an inordinate amount of care from their fathers.
Heads the Owl Monkey Project, which has been studying owl monkeys in Argentina for 18 years.
Keeping the hours of an owl , he does most of the location scouting and exploration.
Historical Examples of owl And he winked and blinked at stout Friar Tuck like an owl at the sun.
This, with coffee, followed a good supper of boiled partridge and owl .
It is possible that in snaring the owl we have caught the falcon.
You ought to be dozing half the day—and instead you're as wide awake as an owl .
An owl had put by for next day the remains of something dainty which he had to eat.
British Dictionary definitions for owl 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 Show More
Derived Forms 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
Word Origin and History for owl n. 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).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with owl The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Swimming Owls, Jane Krakowski’s Peter Pan Live! Audition, and More Viral Videos