owl 
from three to six white eggs of snbspherlcal shape. There 
are about 200 species, assigned to some 50 modern genera, 
and now usually considered as constituting 2 families, AIM- 
conidcr and fUriytda, or burn. owls and other owls. See 
outs under ftarn-ow'/, lln'm. frlintriifiniii,ltunlf-nn-t, .\i/<-tnt<i, 
Otui, mom-met, and Sti-ix. 
The oule eek that of detho the bode bryngeth. 
Chaucer, Parliament or Fowls, 1. 843. 
The mot shriek'd at thy birth an evil sign. 
Shak.,:t Ili-n. VI., v. 6. 44. 
And eucn this did Adam seitke, if God had not brought 
him out of his Owlr nest. Purehat, Pilgrimage, p. 26. 
2. A variety of the domestic pigeon: so called 
from its owl-like physiognomy. The head is round, 
and the beak very short. There are several strains of 
owls, known as English, African, and Chinese. All run in 
various colors. 
The owl* are African, English, and Chinese. The Afri- 
can is at home in Tunis, whence many thousands have 
been sent to England, and of which scarcely dozens re- 
main. The bird is the smallest of the family, and so deli- 
cate that its term of life out of African air is very limited. 
The Knglish <nrf Is fair In size, with eye round and promi- 
nent, the dewlap well developed, and the frill extending 
to the lower point of the breast. In the Chinese this frill- 
feathering Is excessive, even extending up about the throat 
to the eyes. The Century, XXXII. 107. 
3. A person whose pleasure or business it is 
to be up or about much at night. [Colloq.] An 
owl in an ivy-bush*, a stupid, blundering fellow. 
Lord % Prithee, how did the fool look? 
Col. Look ! egad, he look'd for all the world like OH 
owl in an iny bush. Swift, Polite Conversation, 1. 
Burrowing owl, a small owl which burrows in the ground 
in many part* of North and South America and the West 
Indies, the Speotyto cunicularia and its varieties. It Is 9 
or 10 Inches long: grayish-brown, profusely spotted with 
white; with the head smooth, without plumlcoms: the 
facial disk incomplete ; and with the ear-parts small and 
Nest of Burrowing Owl (Sptotyto CMitfcutarfa). 
not operculate, and the legs long and partly bare. This is 
the owl well known on the western prairies in connection 
with the prairie-dogs, in the deserted burrows of which it 
makes its nest, and on the pampas of South America in 
similar relations with the viscaehas. There is a colony in 
Florida, and there are several in the West Indies. These 
owls are diurnal, and feed upon insects and small mammals 
and reptiles. See Speotyto. Orgy owl, one of sundry owls 
of a gray color. One of the species to which the name ap- 
plies is the common European Strix gtridula. The great 
gray owl of North America is Strix cinerea, or Sumium ci- 
nereum, one of the largest and most boreal species of the 
family. Hissing owl, the barn-owl, Strix flammed or 
Alum flamineus. Afon<a<7. Horned owl, horn-owl, 
any owl with horns in the shape of plumicorns or feathery 
egrets on the head ; an eared owl ; a cat-owl. There are 
many species, of such genera as Otwt or Agio, Scops, Bubo, 
etc. The great horned owl of Europe Is Bubo maximal; 
that of America is B, virginianus. See cut under Bubo. 
Long-eared OWL See lotvj-eared and Otus. Short- 
eared owl See thart tared. To bring or send owls 
tp Athens, to perform unnecessary labor : "carry coals to 
Newcastle ; take a commodity where it already abounds. 
A small brown owl (probably Scops giu) is especially com- 
mon on the Acropolis and about Athens, and was hence 
taken as the emblem of the city, and of its patron goddess, 
Athene or Pallas (Minerva). 
owl 1 (oul). /. i. [< ami, .] To carry on a con- 
traband or unlawful trade at night or in secrecy ; 
skulk about with contraband goods; smuggle; 
especially, to carry wool or sheep out of the 
country, at one time an offense at law. [Eng.] 
owl' 2 , . A dialectal form of wool. 
OWl-DUtterfly (oul'but'er-fli), H. A very large 
South American nymphalid butterfly, ('<tli</<> 
i'iiri/lochit.1, attaining an expanse of nine inches: 
so called because the wings when folded at 
rest present at the base of the second series a 
pair of large ocelli likened to owls' eyes. See 
cut under ocellate. 
2G5 
4213 
OWlerH (ou'ler), n. One guilty of the offense 
of owling; a smuggler, especially of wool. 
To gibbets and gallows your meter* advance, 
That, that 's the sure way to mortify France, 
For Monsieur our nation will always be gulling, 
While you take such care to supply him with woolh -n. 
ISrown, Works, I. 184. (Danet.) 
owler' 2 t (ou'ler), n. [A dial. var. of alder 1 .} An 
alder-tree. [Prov. Eng.] 
He advises that you plant willows or mrtem. 
I. Walton, Complete Angler, p. 188. 
owlery (ou'ler-i), . ; pi. owleries (-iz). [< owl 1 
+ -ery 1 ."] 1. An abode or haunt of owls. Imp. 
Diet. 2. An owlish or owl-like character or 
habit. 
Man is by birth somewhat of an owl. Perhaps, too. of 
all the owleries that ever possessed him, the most owlish, 
If we consider it, Is that of your actually existing Motive- 
Millwrights. Cartyte, sartor Resartus, p. 162. 
owlet (ou'let), . [Also liowlet, q. v. ; < owfi + 
-et.~] 1. An owl; a howlet. 
As faulcon fares to bussarde's flight, 
V- . -!' - i V' - t<- MJ '"" -iL'ht'. . 
I'utttnham, Partheniades, xvl. 
2. A young owl; a little owl. 3. Same as ow- 
li t-nn>th. 
owlet-moth (ou'let-m6th). . One of various 
noctuid moths, so called from their nocturnal 
habits and 
soft fluffy ap- 
pearance. The 
splderwort ow- 
let-moth, Prode- 
nia flaeimedia, 
is a well-known 
species, whose 
larva feeds on 
many different 
plants and re- 
sembles a cut- 
worm In habits. 
See also cut an- 
der Prodenia. 
owl-eyed (oul'id), a. Having eyes like an owl's; 
seeing best in the night. 
owl-faced (oul'fast), a. Having a face like an 
owl's. 
Owlglasst, [Also Owleglass, ffowleglags, Hol- 
liylass, etc. ; also (helspiegle; < MD. Uylegpigel, 
Uylespieghel (G. TM Eulenspiegel), Owlglass, 
< uyle, wl, D. uil, G. eule, owl, + spiegel, < L. 
speculum, looking-glass: see speculum."] The 
name of the hero of a popular German tale 
translated into English at the end of the six- 
teenth century. He is represented as practis- 
ing all manner of pranks and having all sorts 
of comical adventures. 
Ride on my best Invention like an asse, 
To the amazement of each Owliglaae; 
Till then fare well (if thou canst get good fare) ; 
Content 's a feast, although the feast be bare. 
Taylor, Workes (1630). (Naret.) 
1. Or what do you think 
Of On'l glow instead of him 7 
2. No, him 
I have no mind to. 
1. 0, but Ulen-spiegle 
Were soch a name. 
B. Jonson, Masque of Fortune, vi. 190. 
owl-gnat (oul'nat), n. A noctuiform gnat of the 
family Psycltodida: 
owl-head (oul'hed), n. The black-bellied plo- 
ver, Squatarola helvetica. Trumlmll. [New Jer- 
sey.] 
owlingt (ou'ling), n. [Verbal n. of owft, .] The 
offense of carrying wool or sheep out of the 
country, formerly punished by fine or banish- 
ment. 
owlish (ou'lish), a. [< owf 1 + -w* 1 .] 1. Owl- 
like; resembling an owl or some one of its 
features. 
Whose mclixh eyes are dazled with the brightnesse of 
this light. Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. :'. 
2. Having an appearance of preternatural grav- 
ity and wisdom. 3. Stupid; dull; fat-witted. 
owlishness (ou'lish-nes), . The nature or 
character of an owl; stupidity, as that of an 
owl when dazed by the light. 
OWlism (ou'lizm), . [< oir ft + ism.'] An owlish 
or preying disposition or habit. 
Their (lawyers'] oidixnw, vulturisms, to an incredible ex- 
tent, will disappear by and by ; their heroisms only re- 
maining. Carli/lt, Past and Present, II. 17. 
owl-light (oul'lit), H. Glimmering or imperfect 
light; twilight. 
I do not like his visits ; commonly 
He comes by owl-light; both the time and manner 
Is suspicious ; I do not like it. 
Fletcher (and another). Fan- Maid of the Inn, ii. i 
owl-monkey (oul'mung'ki), n. A night-ape, 
owl-moth (oul'mdth), n. A moth, Thysania 
agrippinn. It is probably the largest moth known, mea- 
own 
coring nearlyafoot from tip to tipof wings. Itisa native 
of Brazil, and is so called from Its color and from the re- 
semblance of the hind wings to the head of an owl. 
owl-parrot (oul'par'ot), . The kakapo, st- 
ilniifs liiihi-n/ililiiii: so called from its owlish a-;- 
Owl-panol (SIHfofi > 
pect and nocturnal predatory habits. It is a 
native of New Zealand. Also called night-par- 
rot. See kakapo. 
Owlspieglet, Same as Oiclglass. 
Thou shonld'st have given her a madge-owl, and then 
Thou'dst made a present o' thyself, Owlipiegle. 
B. J onion. Sad Shepherd, II. 1. 
owl-swallow (oul'swol'6), n. A goatsucker or 
night-jar of the family Podargidas, 
owl-train (oul'tran), n. A railroad-train run- 
ning during the night. [U. S.] 
owly (ou'li), a. [< oio/i + .yl.] Seeing no bet-' 
ter than an owl by day; purblind; blear-eyed. 
As seemes to Season's sin bleard Owtie sight. 
Syltetter, tr. of Da Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Imposture 
owly-eyedt (ou'li-Id), . Same as owl-eyed. 
Their wicked minds, blind to the light of vertue, and 
owly eyed In the night of wickednesse. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ill. 
own 1 (on), a. [= 8c. ain, aicen; < ME. own, 
owen, awen, aghen, agen, on, owe, < AS. dgen = 
OS. egan = OFries. eigen, egen, ein, ain = MD. 
eghen, eeghen, D. eigen = MLG. egen, LG. egen 
= OHG. eigan, MHG. G. eigen = Icel. eiginn 
= Sw. Dan. egen = Goth.*oi'oaw, own (cf. aigin, 
n., property), lit. 'possessed,' orig. pp. of dgan, 
etc., ow: see owe 1 .] 1. Properly or exclu- 
sively belonging to one's self or itself; pertain- 
ing to or characteristic of the subject, person or 
thing; peculiar; proper; exclusive; particular; 
individual; private: used after a possessive, 
emphasizing the possession : as, to buy a thing 
with one's own money ; to see a thing with one's 
own eyes ; he was beaten at his own game ; mind 
your own business. 
God wrouxt It and wrot hit with his on fyngcr, 
And toke It Moyses vpon the mount alle men to lere. 
Fieri Plowman (B), xL 163. 
He sett them by bys avme syde, 
Vp at the hyse dese. 
The Horn of King Arthur (Child's Ballads, L 26). 
To thine own self be trne, 
And It must follow, as the night the day, 
Thou canst not then be false to any man. 
Shale., Hamlet, L 8. 78. 
Portlns, behold thy brother, and remember 
Thy life is not thy own, when Borne demands it. 
Addison, Cato, Iv. 4. 
And Jove's own thunders follow Man's drams. 
Pope, Danciad, Iv. 68. 
Beneath her father's roof, alone 
She seemed to live ; her thoughts her own; 
Herself her oirn delight Wardncorth, Ruth. 
Oar own sun belongs to the class of yellow stars, prob- 
ably somewhat past maturity. Tail, Light, f 328. 
[In this sense otrn is often used elllptically. the noun which 
it is to be regarded as qualifying being omitted : as, to hold 
one's own (that is, one's own ground, or one's own cause) ; 
a man can do as he likes with his own (that is, his own 
property, possessions, goods, etc.). 
He came unto his own [possessions), and his oirn (people) 
received him not John L 11. 
My study is to render every man his men, and to con- 
tain myself within the limits of a gentleman. 
Beau, and Ft., Honest Man's Fortune, il. _' 
These poor cantoners could not enjoy their own in quiet. 
Bp. IlacM, Abp. Williams, I. 67. 
The cup. the cup Itself, from which oar Lord 
Drank at the last sad sapper with his own. 
Tennyton, Holy Oral].] 
(The superlative is sometimes used. 
My bride to be, my evermore delight, 
My own heart's heart, and ownttt own, farewell. 
Tennyton, Maud. xvilL 8.) 
2. Actual: used without a possessive, with to 
instead before the possessor: as, oicn brother 
to some one. 
