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barn owl

American

noun

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

barn owl British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barn owl

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A giant barn owl, a type of rodent called a hutia, and a burrowing bee entered a cave.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

For those who struggle to tell a bushtit from a barn owl, the team has assembled resources to help distinguish between common local species and can answer individual questions via email.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2025

Juliet, a barn owl, lands on the arm of the best man at a wedding in England this spring.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2024

A barn owl called Shiraz escaped and was later recovered at a warehouse near Heathrow Airport.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2024

He spotted Hedwig nestled between a barn owl and a tawny, and hurried over to her, sliding a little on the dropping-strewn floor.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023