chuck-will's-widow

[ chuhk-wilz-wid-oh ]
/ ˈtʃʌk wɪlzˈwɪd oʊ /

noun

a goatsucker, Caprimulgus carolinensis, of the southern U.S., resembling the whippoorwill but larger.

Origin of chuck-will's-widow

First recorded in 1785–95; fanciful representation of its incessant call

Words nearby chuck-will's-widow

British Dictionary definitions for chuck-will's-widow

chuck-will's-widow

noun

a large North American nightjar, Caprimulgus carolinensis, similar to the whippoorwill