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Definition of poorwill

poorwill

/ˈpʊərˌwɪl/
poor · will
Plural:poorwills
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poorwill Lexical Profile

poorwill Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A small, nocturnal bird of the nightjar family, native to arid and semi-arid regions of western North America, renowned for its distinctive whistling call and its unique ability to enter extended periods of torpor during winter.

Example

"During the cold winter months in the desert, the common poorwill enters a deep state of torpor to survive the lack of insect prey."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for poorwill

• Nearby Words

poodle
pool
poorbox
poorwill
pop-tart
popcorn
popinolashki

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in the late 19th century as an imitative rendering of the bird's distinctive two-syllable nocturnal whistle ('poor-will').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Poorwill. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/poorwill
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