owl

noun

ˈau̇(-ə)l 

: 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

Living up to their namesake — Strix is a genus of owl — the SAR satellites are designed to collect Earth-observation data even in poor lighting conditions, and can peer through cloud cover to study the ground below. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Students can make mosaics, using pre-cut shapes of wood and gluing pieces of glass to the surface, making everything from decorative mirrors and picture frames to unicorns and owls. — Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026

Our cover image is not the only owl that stars this year, either. — New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

Reck and Annie Ulrich craft larger-than-life puppets to portray figures from Mexican folklore such as La Lechuza, a witch who takes the form of an owl. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing owl

• barn owl
• barred owl
• burrowing owl
• elf owl
• flammulated owl
• great horned owl
• horned owl
• night owl
• northern spotted owl
• owl monkey
• saw-whet owl
• screech owl
• short-eared owl
• snowy owl
• spotted owl

Rhymes for owl

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

Kids Definition

owl

noun

ˈau̇(ə)l 

: 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