: any of an order (Strigiformes) of chiefly nocturnal birds of prey with a large head and eyes, short hooked bill, strong talons, and soft fluffy often brown-mottled plumage

Examples of owl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From March to April, bright-yellow goldfields, purple phacelia, orange poppies, and pinkish stalks of owl’s clover carpet the rolling green hills at Carrizo Plain National Monument, a more than 200,000-acre open space in eastern San Luis Obispo County. Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026 But toads and frogs are also prey animals for owls, hawks, skunks, opossums, and raccoons. Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 6 Feb. 2026 In the promo video, McRae is on a ski slope, asking an owl for directions to Milan, where the Olympics are being held. Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2026 The family rocked a Harry Potter group costume on Halloween in 2021, which saw Biel dressed as Professor McGonagall, Timberlake as Dumbledore, Silas as Potter and baby Phineas as Hedwig, the young wizard's pet owl. Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for owl

Word History

Etymology

Middle English owle, from Old English ūle; akin to Old High German uwila owl

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of owl was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/owl. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

owl

noun
: any of an order of birds of prey that are active mainly at night and that have a broad head, very large eyes, and a powerful hooked beak and claws

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