FromMiddle Englishoule,owle, fromOld Englishūle, fromProto-West Germanic*uwwilā, fromProto-Germanic*uwwalǭ (compareWest Frisianûle,Dutchuil,Danish andNorwegianugle,GermanEule), diminutive of*uwwǭ(“eagle-owl”) (compareGermanUhu), of imitative origin or a variant of*ūfaz,*ūfǭ (compareOld Englishūf orhūf,Swedishuv(“horned owl”),BavarianAuf),^[1] fromProto-Indo-European*up- (compareLatvianũpis(“eagle-owl”),Czechúpět(“to wail, howl”),Avestan𐬎𐬟𐬌𐬌𐬈𐬌𐬨𐬌(ufiieimi,“to call out”).^[2][3] A Germanic variant*uwwilǭ was the source of Old High Germanūwila (GermanEule).

• IPA^(key):/aʊ(ə)l/

• Audio(US):

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• Rhymes:-aʊl,-aʊəl

owl (pluralowls)

2. Any of variousbirds of prey of the orderStrigiformes that are primarilynocturnal and have forward-looking, binocular vision, limited eye movement, and good hearing.[from 8th c.]
3. (by extension) A person seen as having owl-like characteristics, especially appearingwise orserious, or being nocturnally active.[from 14th c.]

   Antonym:lark

4. Anowl pigeon.[from 18th c.]
5. (politics,uncommon) Apolitician withmoderate views that are neitherhawkish nordovish.
6. Any of variousnymphalid butterflies, especially in thegenusCaligo, having largeeyespots on the wings.

• hoot
• to-whit, to-whoo
• whoo
• who
• hoo
• hoohoo

•  owl on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

owl (third-person singular simple presentowls,present participleowling,simple past and past participleowled)

1. (archaic,intransitive) Tosmugglecontrabandgoods.

• 'low,LOW,Low,WoL,low,low%