Meanings
plural owlbears
- fantasyA monstrous creature resembling a bear with a beak.
I don't usually survive long enough to get surrounded by owlbears[…]
1997, Terence Fergusson, “Murphy's Laws of NetHack”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet)1 more example
He played stupid—he looked at my scars and feigned confusion as he dropped the kindling. “What happened?” he asked. “An owlbear attacked,” I answered wryly. He sat down with us, and between their powers, I started to heal.
2010, Maia Jacomus, Loki: Why I Began the End
Origin
From owl + bear. Coined by Gary Gygax in the 1970s for Dungeons & Dragons.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
owlbear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owlbear
“owlbear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owlbear. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “owlbear,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/owlbear.
Source: owlbear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.