Owlman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mythical or legendary creature resembling a human with owl-like features; a person who studies or observes owls; a folkloric figure noted for nocturnal activity and bird-like appearance
2. An entity or character imagined to have the traits of both owls and humans; an individual engaged in ornithological research specializing in owls; a creature of lore associated with nighttime and avian characteristics
3. A legendary being combining aspects of an owl and a man; a human devoted to the observation and study of owls; a folkloric symbol embodying the traits of owls, especially those linked to darkness and mystery

Etymology: "Owlman" is a transparent compound: "owl" joined to "man," with the meaning carried by the two parts. "Owl" descends from Old English "ūle," which has cognates across the Germanic languages. "Man" comes from Old English "mann," which originally meant a human being of either sex, and only later narrowed to adult males in most uses. Compounds that pair an animal name with "man" are common in English, such as "birdman" and "fishman," and they work by taking one trait of a creature and attaching it to a human shape. The result describes a figure that is human in form but owl-like in some feature, which is why the word needs no further explanation to be understood.

Synonyms: owl-like man, nocturnal man