Illustration of nighthawk
- nighthawk 1a
1
a
: any of a genus (Chordeiles and especially C. minor) of North American nightjars related to the whippoorwill
b
: a common European nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus)
2
: a person who habitually is active late at night
Examples of nighthawk in a Sentence
an all-night diner that is patronized by nighthawks from every segment of society
Recent Examples on the Web
Whip-poor-wills and nighthawks, for example, feed on moths and other flying insects at night, foraging when there is less competition with other species.
—
The New York Times Elaine Chen Emily Anthes, New York Times, 18 May 2023
Nantucket: An early common nighthawk at Hummock Pond and 55 roseate terns at Coskata.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023
Across the treatment room another staffer fed a nighthawk.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2021
For instance, Antillean nighthawk, May 2003, Florida.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 8 Dec. 2020
The opening act begins at dusk with the male making what is typically described as a series of distinct nasal peeent sounds (to me the call is more a raspy bzeeent, similar to the nighthawk’s), spaced five or six seconds apart.
—Tom Fegely, Field & Stream, 13 Apr. 2020
As a nighthawk, Buckley was the black-robed enforcer of the Klan’s code.
—Washington Post, 5 June 2018
The onetime imperial nighthawk of the Georgia White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan left the hate group in late 2016.
—Washington Post, 5 June 2018
Heaven’s Door is meant to conjure a broader idea of Dylan that is part Renaissance man, part nighthawk.
—Ben Sisario, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2018
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The New York Times Elaine Chen Emily Anthes, New York Times, 18 May 2023
Nantucket: An early common nighthawk at Hummock Pond and 55 roseate terns at Coskata.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023
Across the treatment room another staffer fed a nighthawk.
—Stephanie Hanes, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Nov. 2021
For instance, Antillean nighthawk, May 2003, Florida.
—Jim Williams, Star Tribune, 8 Dec. 2020
The opening act begins at dusk with the male making what is typically described as a series of distinct nasal peeent sounds (to me the call is more a raspy bzeeent, similar to the nighthawk’s), spaced five or six seconds apart.
—Tom Fegely, Field & Stream, 13 Apr. 2020
As a nighthawk, Buckley was the black-robed enforcer of the Klan’s code.
—Washington Post, 5 June 2018
The onetime imperial nighthawk of the Georgia White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan left the hate group in late 2016.
—Washington Post, 5 June 2018
Heaven’s Door is meant to conjure a broader idea of Dylan that is part Renaissance man, part nighthawk.
—Ben Sisario, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2018
Cite this Entry
“Nighthawk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nighthawk. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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