barn owl

noun

1. a yellowish-brown and white owl, Tyto alba, often inhabiting barns and other buildings.

barn owl

noun

1. any owl of the genus Tyto , esp T. alba , having a pale brown and white plumage, long slender legs, and a heart-shaped face: family Tytonidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of barn owl¹

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

A little screech owl tuned up in the distance, a barn owl replied, and a great horned owl drowned both their voices.

From Project Gutenberg

A boy who had a half-grown barn owl tried him one day to see how many mice he would eat.

From Project Gutenberg

One barn owl had thirty-nine locusts, twenty-two other insects, and one mouse which it had just taken.

From Project Gutenberg

The nest of the Barn Owl is a rude structure placed in the bird's daily haunt.

From Project Gutenberg

This species is much more common than the Barn Owl in many districts, although it is decreasing in others.

From Project Gutenberg