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

To no surprise, the night-owl people tended to eat all their meals at later times. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 4 Sep. 2025

The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications. —Leeron Walter, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Wild rice also is an essential food source for many of the migratory birds in the area, including many species of ducks, pheasants, owls, cranes, geese and songbirds. —Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Great cornerbacks are football’s tawny owls, the biggest of the big-game hunters, dogging prey through darkness and chaos. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 31 Aug. 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