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