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whippoorwill

whippoorwill

2 9.9
A bird active at night in North America that makes the same call again and again
  • noun
  • /ˈwɪpərˌwɪl/
  • US
translation icon : chotacabras
  • The whippoorwill was gone.
  • whippoorwill called
  • whippoorwill song
  • hear a whippoorwill

Examples

  • During the summer evenings, the whippoorwill can be heard calling repeatedly in the warm air.

  • A whippoorwill called from the trees.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I would really like to go find and listen to the sound of the whippoorwill.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The song of the whippoorwill.

    Academic text (2017)
  • A whippoorwill starts calling.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • By the time the whippoorwill's call throbbed in the hollow, Leetha heard his slow step shuffling over the porch, returning.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • During supper that night, the dogs were rather noisy; it was a moonless black night with the alligators booming from Lake Belle and the whippoorwill crying in the orange grove.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I love listening to the soothing call of the whippoorwill as it echoes through the quiet woods at night.

  • The distinctive song of the whippoorwill is often associated with peaceful nights in rural areas.

Synonyms

Caprimulgus vociferus
vswhippoorwill
  • Specialized
9.9

A North American night bird with grey and white feathers and a loud repeated call

is the common name used in everyday speech

Surface Forms

whippoorwill singular
whippoorwills plural

Etymology

Whippoorwill comes from the bird's own song. People thought its repeated call sounded like 'whip-poor-will', so the night bird is named for that sound and the name helps you remember its song.