Meanings
plural goatsuckers · alternative goat-sucker
- Any bird in the nightjar family Caprimulgidae.
[…] ah, that was the woodcock - and the goatsucker - yes, yes! it sounds strange to him, that hasn't heard him […]
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 286
Synonyms & antonyms
nounmainly crepuscular or nocturnal nonpasserine birds with mottled greyish-brown plumage and large eyes; feed on insects
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From goat + sucker, from the ancient folk belief that they sucked milk from goats.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian козодой
- козодой (kozodoj)Caprimulgidae
Catalan enganyapastors
- enganyapastorsCaprimulgidae
Hungarian kecskefejő, lappantyú
- kecskefejőCaprimulgidae
- lappantyúCaprimulgidae
Russian козодо́й
- козодо́й (kozodój)Caprimulgidae
Turkish çobanaldatan, keçisağan
- çobanaldatanCaprimulgidae
- keçisağanCaprimulgidae
- dağ kırlangıcıCaprimulgidae
Cite this entry
goatsucker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goatsucker
“goatsucker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goatsucker. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “goatsucker,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/goatsucker.
Source: goatsucker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.