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chuck-will's-widow: msg#00015

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: chuck-will's-widow


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The Word of the Day for November 16 is:

chuck-will's-widow \chuck-willz-WID-oh\ noun
: a nightjar (_Caprimulgus carolinensis_) of the southeastern United
States


Example sentence:
It was a cool, still night, and we could hear a chuck-will's-widow
calling from over the hill.

Did you know?
The chuck-will's-widow is a nocturnal bird that can be found in the
swamps, rocky uplands, and pine forests of southeastern United States and is
often confused with its close relative, the whippoorwill. Like many of our
other feathered friends, the chuck-will's-widow got its name through
onomatopoeia: “chuck-will’s-widow” imitates the sounds of the bird's call.
Given that the bird will sometimes repeat its call up to 800 times without
stopping, the imitative origin of its name is hardly surprising.





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