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nightjar

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nightjar

Main Entry:: night·jar
Pronunciation:: \ˈnīt-ˌjär\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: from its harsh sound
Date:: 1630

: any of a family (Caprimulgidae) of medium-sized long-winged crepuscular or nocturnal birds (as the whip-poor-wills and nighthawks) having a short bill, short legs, and soft mottled plumage and feeding on insects which they catch on the wing —called also goatsucker

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