OWL

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does owl mean? 

• OWL (noun)
  The noun OWL has 1 sense:

1. nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes

  Familiarity information: OWL used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OWL (noun)

Meaning:

Nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

bird of Minerva; bird of night; owl; hooter

Hypernyms ("owl" is a kind of...):

bird of prey; raptor; raptorial bird (any of numerous carnivorous birds that hunt and kill other animals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "owl"):

barn owl; Tyto alba (mottled buff and white owl often inhabiting barns and other structures; important in rodent control)

laughing jackass; laughing owl; Sceloglaux albifacies (almost extinct owl of New Zealand)

Asio otus; long-eared owl (slender European owl of coniferous forests with long ear tufts)

hawk owl; Surnia ulula (grey-and-white diurnal hawk-like owl of northern parts of the northern hemisphere)

hoot owl (any owl that hoots as distinct from screeching)

spotted owl; Strix occidentalis (a large owl of North America found in forests from British Columbia to central Mexico; has dark brown plumage and a heavily spotted chest)

scops owl (any of several small owls having ear tufts and a whistling call)

screech owl (any owl that has a screeching cry)

Otus asio; screech owl (small North American owl having hornlike tufts of feathers whose call sounds like a quavering whistle)

barred owl; Strix varia (large owl of eastern North America having its breast and abdomen streaked with brown)

Strix aluco; tawny owl (reddish-brown European owl having a round head with black eyes)

great gray owl; great grey owl; Strix nebulosa (large dish-faced owl of northern North America and western Eurasia)

horned owl (large owls having prominent ear tufts)

Athene noctua; little owl (small European owl)

owlet (young owl)

Holonyms ("owl" is a member of...):

order Strigiformes; Strigiformes (owls)