snowy owl

noun

: a large ground-nesting diurnal arctic owl (Bubo scandiacus) that enters the chiefly northern parts of the U.S. in winter and has plumage that is sometimes nearly pure white but usually with brownish spots or bars

Illustration of snowy owl

Examples of snowy owl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Earlier this year, The Washington Post wrote that owls have become a popular pick for ring bearers in Britain, credited in part to the popularity of the Harry Potter franchise, which features a snowy owl that delivers mail. —Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 5 Aug. 2024

Visitors to the hall gawk at the many specimens—a trumpeter swan, eagles, snowy owls—donated by John Edson, the naturalist who collected and mounted the birds around the turn of the 20th century. —Rudy Molinek, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024

Owl ring bearers have become more popular at British weddings in the years since the success of the Harry Potter books and movies, in a nod to Hedwig, Harry’s snowy owl that delivered mail without an address, bird trainer Ryan Stocks said. —Cathy Free, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024

The refuge — home to grizzly and polar bears, snowy owls, migratory birds, and herds of moose and caribou — is the nation's largest remaining expanse of unspoiled wilderness. —Harold Maass, The Week, 7 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

snowy owl

noun

: a large chiefly arctic owl that nests on the ground and is white or white spotted with brown