Owl Definition

oul

owls

noun

owls

Any of a worldwide order (Strigiformes) of predatory night birds distinguished by a large, flat face, eyes surrounded by stiff-feathered disks, a short, hooked beak, feathered legs with sharp talons, and soft plumage which permits noiseless flight.

Webster's New World

Any of several breeds of domestic pigeons having a very short beak somewhat like that of an owl and often a frill of feathers on the chest.

American Heritage Medicine

A person seen as having owl-like characteristics, especially appearing wise or serious, or being nocturnally active.

Wiktionary

A variety of the domestic pigeon.

Wiktionary

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster's Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
strix
bubo
turbit
night-bird
owlet
nocturnal bird
bird-of-prey
satinette
owl pigeon
hooter
bird-of-night
bird-of-minerva

Other Word Forms of Owl

Noun

Singular:

owl

Plural:

owls

Origin of Owl

From Middle English owle, from Old English Å«le, from Proto-Germanic *uwwalÇ (compare West Frisian ûle, Dutch uil, Danish ugle, German Eule), diminutive of *uwwōn "˜eagle-owl' (compare German Uhu), of imitative origin or a variant of *Å«faz, *Å«fōn (compare Swedish uv "˜horned owl', Bavarian Auf), from Proto-Indo-European *up- (compare Latvian Å©pis "˜eagle-owl', Czech úpÄ›ti "˜to wail, howl', Avestan ufyeimi "˜to call out').

From Wiktionary
Middle English owle from Old English ūle of imitative origin

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition