Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
From a superstition of some North American Indians that it presages death. Compare Salentino Sicilian oceddu de la morte (“owl”, literally “death bird”) and Malagasy vorondolo (“owl”, literally “ghost bird”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
deathbird. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbird
MLA
“deathbird.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbird. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deathbird,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deathbird.
Source: deathbird on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.