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barn owl
noun
: a widely distributed owl (Tyto alba) that has plumage mottled buff brown and gray above and chiefly white below, frequents barns and other buildings, and preys especially on rodents
Examples of barn owl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bonnet Carre Spillway in Norco: More than 260 species have been observed in the area, including bald eagles, Baltimore orioles and barn owls.
—Carlie Kollath Wells, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024
With a major wildfire burning near his mountain town east of Los Angeles, Cowboy the barn owl was unaware of the danger and instead having the adventure of a lifetime.
—Jaimie Ding and Jae Hong, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2024
All the animals are cute in their own ways — the barn owl, the woylie, the sugar gliders, the thing on Thomas N.’s shoulder that may be a bandicoot.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 16 July 2024
The other owl moment comes at the conclusion of the video, when Lamar stands menacingly in front of a real barn owl, which is then revealed to be trapped in a cage.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for barn owl
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barn owl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1674, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near barn owl
Cite this Entry
“Barn owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barn%20owl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
barn owl
noun
: a widely distributed owl with brown, gray, and white feathers that is found near barns and other buildings and preys especially on rodents
More from Merriam-Webster on barn owl
Nglish: Translation of barn owl for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barn owl
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