snowy owl

American  

noun

snowy owls plural

1. a diurnal, Arctic and subarctic owl, Nyctea scandiaca, having white plumage with dark brown markings.

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snowy owl British  

noun

1. a large owl, Nyctea scandiaca, of tundra regions, having a white plumage flecked with brown

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snowy owls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snowy owl

First recorded in 1775–85

Example Sentences

A snowy owl perches itself atop an awning during rush hour in downtown Washington.

From Washington Post • Jan. 18, 2023

The forbidding frozen wilderness of the high Arctic tundra is the natural home of the snowy owl, a great predator perfectly adapted to hunting its primary food source, lemmings.

From New York Times • Dec. 31, 2022

Swarms of bird fanciers have been flocking to a west Orange County neighborhood to ogle a snowy owl.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 30, 2022

Crowds of bird-watchers have been showing up regularly in an Orange County neighborhood to gawk at a snowy owl, a species normally found around the Arctic, Canada and several northern U.S. states.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022

He picked up a big, fluffy snowy owl and put his nose into the sweet, dense feathers on his head.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George