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Definition of great horned owl
great horned owl
Plural:great horned owls
• noun
1
North American A large, highly adaptable bird of prey native to the Americas, distinguished by its prominent feather ear tufts, bright yellow eyes, and deep, resonant hooting call.
Example
"During our twilight hike through the forest, we heard the distinct, rhythmic hoots of a Great Horned Owl echoing through the trees."
Word Nuance & Usage
In ornithological literature, the standard English common name for this species is fully capitalized as Great Horned Owl, though it is often lowercased in casual writing.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Great horned owl. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/great%20horned%20owl