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Glite Dictionary
spotted owl

spotted owl

6 7.6
A large North American owl with dark brown feathers and white spots on its chest that lives in old forests
  • noun
  • /ˈspɑːtɪd aʊl/
  • US
translation icon : búho moteado
  • WK: I heard that a pair of spotted owls successfully nested on a Portland K-Mart sign.
  • northern spotted owl
  • habitat for the spotted owl
  • Mexican spotted owl

Examples

  • For environmentalist organizations, the court injunction was a major victory in the so-called "spotted owl wars." (42)

    Academic text (2018)

  • I think it's a spotted owl.

    Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015)

  • A good example is the case of the spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In 1990, the northern spotted owl was listed as a threatened species under the ESA.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The plan proposes an annual harvest level of 1.2 billion board feet from federal forests in the northern spotted owl's range in Washington, Oregon, and northern California.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Sher and True weren't the first attorneys to recognize the potential importance of the linkage between the spotted owl and old growth.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The agency developed separate conservation strategies for spotted owls, marbled murrelets, salmonids, and a "multi-species" strategy that provided habitats for forty-nine other at-risk wildlife species.

    Academic text (2018)

  • We spotted a spotted owl perched silently on a branch during our hike in the forest.

  • Conservationists are working tirelessly to protect the habitat of the spotted owl in North America.

  • The spotted owl is known for its unique dark brown feathers and prominent chest spots.

Synonyms

Strix occidentalis
vsspotted owl
  • Specialized
9.9

A large brown owl with many spots on its chest that lives in North American forests

uses the common everyday name instead of the scientific form

Surface Forms

spotted owl singular
spotted owls plural

Morphology

spotted + owl

The noun phrase is transparently compositional: 'spotted' (having spots) modifies 'owl' (a bird), so a learner who knows both words will readily infer it refers to an owl with spots. The taxonomic or regional details in the dictionary definition are specialized but do not prevent a B1 learner from understanding the basic meaning from the constituents.

Etymology

Spotted owl gets its name from how it looks: the bird has dark feathers and a chest full of pale spots, so spotted describes the marks and owl is the bird. That's why the name tells you which forest bird people are talking about.