slovo | definícia |
Chordeiles minor (gcide) | nighthawk \nighthawk\ n.
1. A person who likes to be active late at night; a {night
owl}.
Syn: night owl, nightbird.
[WordNet 1.5]
2. (Zool.) Any of several mainly nocturnal North American
goatsuckers, especially Chordeiles minor, or the related
European goatsucker Caprimulgus europaeus, also called
the nightjar.
Syn: bullbat, mosquito hawk.
[WordNet 1.5] |
Chordeiles minor (gcide) | Caprimulgidae \Caprimulgidae\ n. [L. capris goat + mulgere to
milk.]
a widely distributed natural family of nocturnally active
birds including the whip-poor-will ({Caprimulgus
vociferus}), the chuck-will's-widow ({Caprimulgus
carolinensis}), and the common nighthawk ({Chordeiles
minor}); -- called popularly the goatsuckers or
nightjars. The nighthawks are sometimes active during the
day.
Syn: goatsuckers, nightjars, family Caprimulgidae.
[PJC]
The family . . . is alternately known as the
nightjars (derived from the "churring" sounds of
several species -- "jarring" the night air), or
goatsuckers, a nonsense name that should be
discontinued as it has its origin in the
preposterous myth that the birds sucked the milk
of nanny goats until they were dry. --Terence
Michael Short
(Wild Birds of
the Americas) |
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