Nighthawk

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of bird known for its nocturnal habits, resembling a hawk but primarily associated with dusk and nighttime activity
2. A bird that feeds on insects and has a characteristic call, often associated with the evening or twilight hours
3. A species of bird distinguished by its ability to be active at night, preying on insects and flying in low light conditions

Etymology: Nighthawk is about as transparent as compounds get: "night" plus "hawk." Yet the second half is the surprise. The birds it names are not hawks at all. Nighthawks belong to the nightjar family, Caprimulgidae, and are more closely related to swifts and hummingbirds than to any raptor. English speakers gave them the name because their flight, with sharp, angled wings and a darting, erratic pursuit of insects through the air, looked to them like a hawk's hunting style, and because they are active at dusk and after dark when true hawks are not. The compound is a plain English formation, built from two native elements, so there is no foreign borrowing to trace. Its sense has stayed close to the original picture: a bird of the evening sky, named for its hawk-like movements and its nocturnal or twilight habits.

Synonyms: nightjar, nocturnal bird