saw-whet owl
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of saw-whet owl
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; allegedly so called because its cry was likened to the noise of a saw being whetted
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.
In a social media post on Tuesday, the Fairfax County Police Department said its animal protection officers rescued a northern saw-whet owl on Nov. 17 in the Oakton area.
From Washington Post • Dec. 22, 2021
The woman subsequently delivered the bird to an employee at the center, who identified it as a saw-whet owl.
From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2020
She wanted to put off work a little longer to hunt for a northern saw-whet owl that had roosted nearby for a few weeks earlier in the season.
From Slate • Feb. 11, 2019
The commotion-causing owl in question is a very young northern saw-whet owl, captured in a viral video interacting with a Boulder County, Colorado sheriff's deputy.
From National Geographic • Jul. 27, 2015
We picked up a saw-whet owl on Wednesday.
From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers
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.
