whippoorwill

American  

[hwip-er-wil, wip-, hwip-er-wil, wip-] / ˈʰwɪp ərˌwɪl, ˈwɪp-, ˌʰwɪp ərˈwɪl, ˌwɪp- /

noun

1. a nocturnal North American nightjar, Caprimulgus vociferus, having a variegated plumage of gray, black, white, and tawny.

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whippoorwill British  

/ ˈwɪpʊˌwɪl /

noun

1. a nightjar, Caprimulgus vociferus, of North and Central America, having a dark plumage with white patches on the tail

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Etymology

Origin of whippoorwill

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10; imitative

Example Sentences

“If we don’t have the right habitat for quail, then we probably don’t have the right habitat for a variety of birds and pollinators — from whippoorwills and goldfinches to monarch butterflies and bumble bees.”

From Washington Post

The valley that was their base, echoing with the call of whippoorwills, remains off limits as well.

From Reuters

For instance, goatsuckers, a group of birds that includes the whippoorwill, do not milk goats, Aristotle’s declaration to the contrary notwithstanding.

From New York Times

The last whippoorwill I heard was in 1974 in the wilds of West Virginia.

From Washington Post

I was riding through a wooded area one time as dusk turned to night, and whippoorwills began singing out all around me.

From The Guardian