: 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 The birdlife drawn to the wetlands include buzzards, falcons, owls, eagles and vultures. Laurie Werner, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024 Proponents of exploring the listing of the owls under the California Endangered Species Act said existing regulations and management strategies haven’t worked. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024 The river is also the habitat of some of Gambia’s more elusive species like the African blue flycatcher and Pel’s fishing owl. David Escribano, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2024 For babies, there’s an owl teddy waiting while older children are brought milk and cookies at bedtime. Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for owl 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word '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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of owl was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near owl

Cite this Entry

“Owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/owl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

owl

noun
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on owl

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