WHIPPOORWILL

whippoorwill, Caprimulgus vociferus

(noun) American nocturnal goatsucker with grey-and-white plumage

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Imitative of its note.

Noun

whippoorwill (plural whippoorwills)

a nocturnal insectivorous bird of North America, Caprimulgus vociferus, a type of nightjar, named after its characteristic call.

Source: Wiktionary


Whip"-poor-will`, n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: An American bird (Antrostomus vociferus) allied to the nighthawk and goatsucker; -- so called in imitation of the peculiar notes which it utters in the evening. [Written also whippowil.]

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

4 April 2025

GUILLOTINE

(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. When coffee berries turn from green to bright red – indicating ripeness – they are picked, processed, and dried. Dried coffee seeds are roasted to varying degrees, depending on the desired flavor.

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