Owle

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling of the owl, a nocturnal bird of prey with large eyes and silent flight
2. An old variant spelling for the nocturnal bird of prey that hunts small animals after dark
3. A historical form of the word for the night-hunting bird with round eyes and a hooting call

Etymology: The spelling "owle" is an older form of "owl," common in Middle English manuscripts before spelling settled in the early modern period. Its ancestor is Old English "ūle," which was part of a Germanic family that includes Dutch "uil" and German "Eule." The Old Norse "ugla," with an extra consonant, belongs to the same group. Few words in this family are easy to trace beyond Germanic. The bird's name is probably imitative, echoing its hooting call, though this is not certain. The sound link is still visible in English. "Howl" comes from a related Old English verb, "hūlian," and the two words have long been associated with each other, as the cry of an owl and the howl of a wolf or dog share a mournful, nocturnal quality.