night bird
Definition
Noun 1. A bird that is active during the night: This term refers to any bird whose primary period of activity, such as feeding, calling, or flying, occurs after dark. It is a general category rather than a specific scientific classification. 2. A person who habitually stays up late or is active at night: Informally, the term can describe a human who prefers nighttime activities.
Usage Examples
- Noun (literal meaning):
- The hoot of a night bird broke the silence of the forest.
- We went on a walk to listen for night birds like owls and nightjars.
- Noun (informal, figurative meaning):
- As a writer, I'm a real night bird; I do my best work after midnight.
- The café was full of night birds drinking coffee and talking into the early hours.
Advanced Usage
- "To be a night bird": This phrase is used to characterize someone's lifestyle or habits.
- He's always been a night bird, so don't expect him at the breakfast meeting.
Variants and Related Words
- Night owl (n.): A very common synonym for the informal meaning of a person who stays up late.
- She's a night owl who sleeps until noon.
- Nocturnal (adj.): The formal adjective describing animals (including birds) or people active at night.
- Bats are nocturnal creatures.
Synonyms
- Nocturnal bird: A more formal or scientific term for the literal meaning.
- Night owl: A direct synonym for the informal human meaning.
Related Idioms
- Burning the midnight oil: Working or studying very late into the night. (This describes the of a night bird).
- She was burning the midnight oil to finish her project.
Noun
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any bird associated with night: owl; nightingale; nighthawk; etc
