screech owl
or screech-owl
Save This Word!
noun
any of numerous small American owls of the genus Otus, having hornlike tufts of feathers, as O. asio, of eastern North America.
(not in technical use) any owl having a harsh cry, especially the barn owl.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of screech owl
First recorded in 1585–95
Words nearby screech owl
screamo, scream therapy, scree, screech, screeching, screech owl, screechy, screed, screen, Screen Actors Guild, screenager
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for screech owl
British Dictionary definitions for screech owl
screech owl
noun
a small North American owl, Otus asio, having ear tufts and a reddish-brown or grey plumage
British any owl that utters a screeching cry
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