owl
Pluralowls
Pluralowls
- 1Any of various mostly nocturnal birds of prey of the order Strigiformes, with forward-facing binocular vision, limited eye movement, and acute hearing.
An owl's eyes barely move in their sockets, so it turns its head to follow its prey.
Owls swallow small prey whole and later cough up pellets of bone and fur.
- 2A person regarded as having owl-like qualities, especially in seeming wise or serious, or in being active late at night.
My roommate is a true owl, doing her best work long after midnight.
The judge, a solemn old owl, peered over her glasses before delivering the ruling.
UsageFor the late-night type, usually night owl. Its opposite is early bird or lark.
Similarnighthawk
Oppositelark
Note
A figurative extension that pulls two ways, toward the bird's solemn, wise-looking face or toward its night hours. Context decides which is meant: a solemn old owl is grave, while an owl at midnight is simply up late.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- The personal sense figuratively extends the bird sense through perceived wisdom, seriousness, or nocturnal activity. en.wiktionary.org
- 3A politician who holds moderate views, positioned between the hawkish and dovish camps.
Note
Political shorthand that completes the hawk–dove pairing. Hawks urge aggressive or interventionist measures, doves favor diplomacy and restraint, and the owl sits between them, neither pressing for force nor ruling it out. Unlike the wise-looking person, it names a policy stance, not a temperament.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Hawks advocate aggressive political action. en.wiktionary.org
- Doves favor negotiation and restraint over conflict. en.wiktionary.org
- A political owl occupies a moderate position between hawks and doves. en.wiktionary.org
- The wise-looking-person sense concerns personal characteristics, unlike the political sense. en.wiktionary.org
Less common meanings
- 4To engage in smuggling contraband goods.
Note
A smuggling verb with a specific history. It named the clandestine nighttime export of wool or sheep from England to France, in defiance of export restrictions that were lifted in 1824, and the name is often put down to that night work. Today it belongs to historical writing about that trade.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- Owling denoted smuggling wool or sheep from England, particularly to France. en.wikipedia.org
- The trade was usually conducted at night, and this is a traditional explanation of its name. en.wikisource.org
- 5Any of various butterflies of the family Nymphalidae, especially in the genus Caligo, having large eyespots on the wings.
- 6A pigeon of any of several fancy breeds known as owls, having a very short beak and a frill of feathers on the breast.
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Origin
"Owl" comes from Middle English "oule," from Old English "ūle," going back to Proto-Germanic and possibly ultimately a Proto-Indo-European root. It is a diminutive of a word for "eagle-owl" (compare German "Uhu") that was probably of imitative origin, echoing the bird's call, with cognates like Dutch "uil" and German "Eule."
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 6 facts
- Owl descends from Middle English oule and Old English ūle. en.wiktionary.org
- The word goes back to Proto-Germanic. en.wiktionary.org
- Its Germanic ancestor was a diminutive of a word meaning eagle-owl. en.wiktionary.org
- German Uhu is a comparable word for the eagle-owl with an imitative origin. en.wiktionary.org
- The ancestral word probably imitated the owl's call. dictionary.obspm.fr
- Dutch uil and German Eule are cognates of owl. en.wiktionary.org