owl
Americannoun
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owls
plural
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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.
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one of a breed of domestic pigeons having an owllike appearance.
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a person of owllike solemnity or appearance.
adjective
noun
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any nocturnal bird of prey of the order Strigiformes, having large front-facing eyes, a small hooked bill, soft feathers, and a short neck
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any of various breeds of owl-like fancy domestic pigeon (esp the African owl, Chinese owl, and English owl )
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a person who looks or behaves like an owl, esp in having a solemn manner
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
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
Explanation
While most birds are known for their tweeting, owls are known for their hooting. If you hear a "hoot" in the woods, look for an owl (But bring your flashlight; owls are nocturnal.). Owls share some similarities with hawks — both birds are predators, with very strong beaks and claws meant for grabbing mice, insects, rabbits, and even fish. One notable difference is that an owl has eyes on the front of its face, while most hawks have eyes on the sides of their heads. To compensate, owls can turn their heads as much as 270 degrees, to see what's behind them. Owl comes from an imitative root — a word that sounds like an owl's hoot.
Vocabulary lists containing owl
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.
See Examples For:
Meanwhile, variants associated with openness to experience and extraversion were connected with a greater tendency to be a night owl.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 8, 2026
During a stop at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, an owl perched on her gloved arm made her squeal like the girl she had been during her first visit there on a grade-school field trip.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
"This year has been completely different. I personally found barn owl numbers have increased dramatically. But there are still some areas in Cambridgeshire that have not found as many babies as I have," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
In 2021, Fresno High School changed its mascot from a warrior to an image of one of its main buildings, Royce Hall, featuring an owl and an international baccalaureate symbol.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
He’d always been a night owl, and they were both happier when Adina got something almost like a full night of sleep.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
People are being encouraged to report any sightings of barn owls across Northern Ireland, particularly in the west, to help fill in gaps in the records and even help protect important breeding areas.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Wildlife officials had found that many of these poisons worked their way through the food chain, sickening and killing owls, raptors, coyotes and mountain lions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Dudhill, who works for the Wildlife Conservation Partnership, external, said 2026 had been a much stronger breeding year for barn owls.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
That definition stood for decades, notably surviving a 1995 Supreme Court case that focused on the protection of old-growth forests for spotted owls.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Perhaps he does not want to be friends with you until he knows what you are like. With owls, it is never easy-come and easy-go.”
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
