Meanings
nounnightjar (plural nightjars)
plural nightjars · alternative night-jar · alternative nightchurr
- Any of various medium-sized nocturnal birds, of the family Caprimulgidae from the order Caprimulgiformes, that feed predominantly on moths and other large flying insects.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounmainly crepuscular or nocturnal nonpasserine birds with mottled greyish-brown plumage and large eyes; feed on insects
Similar
Broader
caprimulgiform bird
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From night + jar (“a discordant sound”), due to the bird's harsh call.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κύμινδις
- κύμινδις (kúmindis)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Catalan enganyapastors
- enganyapastorsnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Chinese Mandarin 夜鷹 /夜鹰
- 夜鷹 /夜鹰 (yèyīng)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Czech lelek
- leleknocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Dutch nachtzwaluw
- nachtzwaluwnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Esperanto kaprimulgo
- kaprimulgonocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Estonian öösorr
- öösorrnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Finnish kehrääjä
- kehrääjänocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
French engoulevent
- engouleventnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
German Ziegenmelker, Nachtschwalbe
- Ziegenmelkernocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- Nachtschwalbenocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Hebrew תַּחְמָס
- תַּחְמָס (taẖmás)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Hungarian lappantyú, kecskefejő
- lappantyúnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- kecskefejőnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Icelandic náttfari
- náttfarinocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Irish tuirne lín
- tuirne línnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Italian caprimulgo, succiacapre
- caprimulgonocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- succiacaprenocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Japanese 夜鷹
- 夜鷹 (yotaka)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Korean 쏙독새
- 쏙독새 (ssokdoksae)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Latin caprimulgus
- caprimulgusnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Malay burung tukang
- burung tukangnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Norwegian Bokmål nattravn
- nattravnnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Polish lelek
- leleknocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Portuguese noitibó, bacurau
- noitibónocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- bacuraunocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- curiangonocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Romanian caprimulg
- caprimulgnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Russian козодо́й
- козодо́й (kozodój)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Spanish chotacabras, guardacaminos
- chotacabrasnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- guardacaminosnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- caprimulgonocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Swedish nattskärra
- nattskärranocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Turkish çobanaldatan, keçisağan
- çobanaldatannocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- keçisağannocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- dağ kırlangıcınocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Ukrainian дрімлюга
- дрімлюга (drimljuha)nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Vietnamese cú muỗi
- cú muỗinocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Welsh gwalch y nos, nyddwr
- gwalch y nosnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- nyddwrnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
- troellwrnocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae
Cite this entry
APA
nightjar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightjar
MLA
“nightjar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightjar. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nightjar,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nightjar.
Source: nightjar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.