Definition of owl
: 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
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Recent Examples of owl from the Web
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Every Thursday families and children can stop by the Center to feed the owls.
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Those include Badger and Arlington, two owls that have stayed close to where they were tagged in Wisconsin during the 2017-2018 winter.
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Lego models will include an owl, cat and butterfly.
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Wayne, featured egg hunts, arts and crafts, and a demonstration where children had the opportunity to get up close with a groundhog, an eagle-owl and a Siberian lynx.
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Forget about the bride — at a wedding in Cheshire, England, all eyes were on an ornery owl that got loose during the ceremony.
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My Future: Devoid of magic, wonder, enchantment, and owls.
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Meet live owls and hawks as Dr. Tom Sproat of BOISE Inc.uncovers mysteries of local raptor species.
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Most were red-tailed hawks, though at least one owl and a ferruginous hawk rarely seen in Northern California were recovered and sent to a CDFW Wildlife Investigations Laboratory in Rancho Cordova for positive identification.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'owl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of owl
Middle English owle, from Old English ūle; akin to Old High German uwila owl
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: before 12th century
in the meaning defined above
See Words from the same yearOWL Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of owl for English Language Learners
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: a bird that usually hunts at night and that has a large head and eyes, a powerful hooked beak, and strong claws
OWL Defined for Kids
noun
\
ˈau̇l
\
Definition of owl for Students
: a large bird with big head and eyes, hooked bill, and strong claws that is active at night and feeds on small animals
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owlish
adjectiveLearn More about owl
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See words that rhyme with owl Spanish Central: Translation of owl Nglish: Translation of owl for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of owl for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about owl
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