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Webster 1913 Edition

Owl

Owl

(oul)
,
Noun.
[AS.
ūle
; akin to D.
uil
, OHG.
ūwila
, G.
eule
, Icel.
ugla
, Sw.
ugla
, Dan.
ugle
.]
1.
(Zool.)
Any species of raptorial birds of the family
Strigidae
. They have large eyes and ears, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye. They are mostly nocturnal in their habits.
☞ Some species have erectile tufts of feathers on the head. The feathers are soft and somewhat downy. The species are numerous. See
Barn owl
,
Burrowing owl
,
Eared owl
,
Hawk owl
,
Horned owl
,
Screech owl
,
Snowy owl
, under
Barn
,
Burrowing
, etc.
☞ In the Scriptures the owl is commonly associated with desolation; poets and story-tellers introduce it as a bird of ill omen. . . . The Greeks and Romans made it the emblem of wisdom, and sacred to Minerva, – and indeed its large head and solemn eyes give it an air of wisdom.
Am. Cyc.
2.
(Zool.)
A variety of the domestic pigeon.
Owl monkey
(Zool.)
,
any one of several species of South American nocturnal monkeys of the genus
Nyctipithecus
. They have very large eyes. Called also
durukuli
.
–
Owl moth
(Zool.)
,
a very large moth (
Erebus strix
). The expanse of its wings is over ten inches.
–
Owl parrot
(Zool.)
,
the kakapo.
–
Sea owl
(Zool.)
,
the lumpfish.
–
Owl train
,
a cant name for certain railway trains whose run is in the nighttime.

Owl

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Owled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Owling
.]
1.
To pry about; to prowl.
[Prov. Eng.]
2.
To carry wool or sheep out of England.
[Obs.]
☞ This was formerly illegal, and was done chiefly by night.
3.
Hence, to carry on any contraband trade.
[Eng.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Owl

OWL

,
Noun.
[L. ulula, ululo.]
A fowl of the genus Strix, that flies chiefly in the night.

Definition 2024

owl

owl

See also: OWL

English

A northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina)
A 19th-century watercolour of an oriental bay owl (Phodilus badius), from the William Farquhar Collection of Natural History Drawings, National Museum of Singapore

Noun

owl ‎(plural owls)

  1. Any of various birds of prey of the order Strigiformes that are primarily nocturnal and have forward-looking, binocular vision, limited eye movement, and good hearing. [from 8th c.]
  2. A person seen as having owl-like characteristics, especially appearing wise or serious, or being nocturnally active. [from 14th c.]
  3. The owl pigeon. [from 18th c.]

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams

References

  1. ↑ Marlies Philippa et al, eds., Etymologisch Woordenboek van het Nederlands, A-Z, s.v. “uil” (Amsterdam UP, 3 Dec. 2009).
  2. ↑ Derksen, Rick (2008) Etymological Dictionary of the Slavic Inherited Lexicon (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 4), Leiden, Boston: Brill, ISBN 978 90 04 15504 6, pages 532—535
  3. ↑ Vladimir Orel, A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, s.vv. “*uwwalōn”, “*uwwǭ”, “*ūfaz ~ *ūfǭ” (Leiden: Brill, 2003), 436.

Etymology

From Middle English owle, from Old English ūle, from Proto-Germanic *uwwalǭ (compare West Frisian ûle, Dutch uil, Danish ugle, German Eule), diminutive of *uwwǭ ‎(“eagle-owl”) (compare German Uhu), of imitative origin or a variant of *ūfaz, *ūfǭ (compare Swedish uv ‎(“horned owl”), Bavarian Auf),[1] from Proto-Indo-European *up- (compare Latvian ũpis ‎(“eagle-owl”), Czech úpět ‎(“to wail, howl”), Avestan [script needed] ‎(ufyeimi, “to call out”) ‘’)[2].[3]

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /aʊl/
  • (US) IPA(key): /aʊl/, /ˈaʊəl/
  • Rhymes: -aʊl, -aʊəl

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