owl

Meaning

Noun

1. Any of various birds of prey of the order Strigiformes, families Strigidae and Tytonidae, that are primarily nocturnal and have forward-looking, binocular vision, limited eye movement, and good hearing.
2. (broadly) A person seen as having owl-like characteristics, especially appearing wise or serious, or being nocturnally active.
3. An owl pigeon.
4. (uncommon) A politician with moderate views that are neither hawkish nor dovish.
5. Any of various nymphalid butterflies, especially in the genus Caligo, having large eyespots on the wings.

Verb

To smuggle contraband goods.

Opposite of

lark

Synonyms

barn owl

kite

🪁

bird of night

bird of Minerva

chicken

🐔

hooter

screech owl

fool

hawk

bird of pray

breathalyser

night owl

rail

soar

tawny owl

night-bird

a bird

burrowing owl

horned owl

nocturnal animal

batty

boobook

Powerful Owl

breathalyzer

bird

🐦

eagle owl

Translations

hibou

🦉

lechuza

🦉

Eule

🦉

gufo

🦉

uil

🦉

chouette

🦉

coruja

🦉

mocho

🦉

baykuş

🦉

civetta

🦉

κουκουβάγια

búho

🦉

òliba

bufo

Pronounced as (IPA)

/aʊ(ə)l/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: oule

Inherited from Old English: ūle

Cognate with Western Frisian: ûle

Cognate with Dutch: uil

Cognate with Danish: -

Cognate with Norwegian: ugle

Cognate with German: Eule

Cognate with German: Uhu

Cognate with Old English: ūf

Cognate with Swedish: uv

Cognate with Bavarian: Auf

Cognate with Latvian: ũpis

Cognate with Czech: úpět

Cognate with Avestan: 𐬎𐬟𐬌𐬌𐬈𐬌𐬨𐬌

In summary

From Middle English oule, owle, from Old English ūle, from Proto-West Germanic *uwwilā, from Proto-Germanic *uwwalǭ (compare West Frisian ûle, Dutch uil, Danish and Norwegian ugle, German Eule), diminutive of *uwwǭ (“eagle-owl”) (compare German Uhu), of imitative origin or a variant of *ūfaz, *ūfǭ (compare Old English ūf or hūf, Swedish uv (“horned owl”), Bavarian Auf), from Proto-Indo-European *up- (compare Latvian ũpis (“eagle-owl”), Czech úpět (“to wail, howl”), Avestan 𐬎𐬟𐬌𐬌𐬈𐬌𐬨𐬌 (ufiieimi, “to call out”). A Germanic variant *uwwilǭ was the source of Old High German ūwila (German Eule).