Nighthawk

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [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]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  nighthawk
       n 1: a person who likes to be active late at night [syn: {night
            owl}, {nightbird}]
       2: mainly nocturnal North American goatsucker [syn: {bullbat},
          {mosquito hawk}]

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Night-hawk
     (Heb. tahmas) occurs only in the list of unclean birds (Lev.
     11:16; Deut. 14:15). This was supposed to be the night-jar
     (Caprimulgus), allied to the swifts. The Hebrew word is derived
     from a root meaning "to scratch or tear the face," and may be
     best rendered, in accordance with the ancient versions, "an owl"
     (Strix flammea). The Revised Version renders "night-hawk."