owl

noun

ˈau̇(-ə)l 

: any of an order (Strigiformes) of chiefly nocturnal birds of prey with a large head and eyes, short hooked bill, strong talons, and soft fluffy often brown-mottled plumage

Examples of owl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What followed was a five-year passion project to catalog the owl in a remote region of eastern Russia. —Kat Merck, Wired News, 24 Sep. 2025

When angry or threatened, the owls make a rapid clicking sound with their beaks. —Joan Morris, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025

So, Carl Safina listened, watched, and took meticulous notes as this little being gradually became a free-living owl spending most of its time a few feet from the author’s back door. —Barbara Ellis, Denver Post, 21 Sep. 2025

As the light drops, the stillness of the dark comes on, the trees acquire their night-time solidity, and the hooting of the owls begins. —Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English owle, from Old English ūle; akin to Old High German uwila owl

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing owl

• barn owl
• barred owl
• burrowing owl
• elf owl
• great horned owl
• horned owl
• night owl
• northern spotted owl
• owl monkey
• saw-whet owl
• screech owl
• short-eared owl
• snowy owl
• spotted owl

Rhymes for owl

• foul
• foule
• fowl
• growl
• howl
• jowl
• prowl
• scowl
• afoul
• wildfowl
• waterfowl

Kids Definition

owl

noun

ˈau̇(ə)l 

: any of an order of birds of prey that are active mainly at night and that have a broad head, very large eyes, and a powerful hooked beak and claws