whippoorwill

noun

whip·​poor·​will ˈ(h)wi-pər-ˌwil How to pronounce whippoorwill (audio)
ˌ(h)wi-pər-ˈwil
variants or less commonly whip-poor-will
plural whippoorwills also whip-poor-wills
: a nocturnal nightjar (Antrostomus vociferus synonym Caprimulgus vociferus) of chiefly eastern North America with a loud repeated call suggestive of its name

Illustration of whippoorwill

Illustration of whippoorwill
  • whip-poor-will

Examples of whippoorwill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nocturnal birds such as owls and whip-poor-wills began to call. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024 The Mexican whip-poor-will, which can be found in the southwestern U.S., has a call that sounds like its name. Alexandra Marvar, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023

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

imitative

First Known Use

1709, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of whippoorwill was in 1709

Dictionary Entries Near whippoorwill

Cite this Entry

“Whippoorwill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whippoorwill. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

whip-poor-will

noun
ˈhwip-ər-ˌwil,
ˌhwip-ər-ˈwil,
ˈwip-,
ˌwip-
: an insect-eating bird of the eastern U.S. and Canada that is active at night and has a loud repeated call which sounds like its name
Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!