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

The celebrity barn owls’ saga follows in the footsteps of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl, who captivated the city for a year after escaping from the Central Park Zoo after someone cut a hole through the mesh of his enclosure. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

Experts believe this was the first time barn owls were known to have nested in Manhattan. — Dave Carlin, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Before the recent barn owl sightings, Williams and her husband heard periodic screeching noises outside going back to early September. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Williams and her husband were not bird watchers before the barn owl family moved in to the water tower. — Joseph B. Frederick, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for barn owl

• afoul
• wildfowl
• foul
• foule
• fowl
• growl
• howl
• jowl
• prowl
• scowl
• waterfowl

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