whippoorwill

American  

[hwip-er-wil, wip-, hwip-er-wil, wip-] / ˈʰwɪp ərˌwɪl, ˈwɪp-, ˌʰwɪp ərˈwɪl, ˌwɪp- /

noun

1. a nocturnal North American nightjar, Caprimulgus vociferus, having a variegated plumage of gray, black, white, and tawny.

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whippoorwill British  

/ ˈwɪpʊˌwɪl /

noun

1. a nightjar, Caprimulgus vociferus, of North and Central America, having a dark plumage with white patches on the tail

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Etymology

Origin of whippoorwill

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10; imitative

Example Sentences

Klara Soderberg sings about broken hearts as her whippoorwill voice breaks them.

From Chicago Tribune • Aug. 4, 2012

Current projects include a study of the effects of controlled burns on bird breeding, the relationship of songs with choice of mate, and whippoorwill territories.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2011

It has thundering piano ostinatos and hummingbird accordion solos, all done incredibly fast, the vocals sometimes reduced to whippoorwill noises and crazed laughter.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2010

Once he put his '"trap" on the limb where a song sparrow came each dawn to serenade his nesting mate; once near a beer barrel which a whippoorwill had chosen for its nightly concert stage.

From Time Magazine Archive

I curled up in a ball and was almost asleep when a whippoorwill called.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George