night·jar

[nahyt-jahr]
noun
1.
a nocturnal European bird, Caprimulgus europaeus, of the family Caprimulgidae, having a short bill and a wide mouth and feeding on insects captured in the air.
2.
Also called goatsucker. any other nocturnal or crepuscular bird of the family Caprimulgidae.

Origin:
1620–30; night + jar2 (from its harsh cry)

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World English Dictionary
nightjar (ˈnaɪtˌdʒɑː) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
any nocturnal bird of the family Caprimulgidae, esp Caprimulgus europaeus (European nightjar): order Caprimulgiformes. They have a cryptic plumage and large eyes and feed on insects
 
[C17: night + jar², so called from its discordant cry]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Nightjar is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nightjar
nocturnal bird, goatsucker, 1630, from night + jar (v.). So called for the "jarring" sounds made by the male when the female is brooding, which have been described as a "churring trill that seems to change direction as it rises and falls."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences from the web
Some birds such as the whinchat and the nightjar use bracken as their preferred habitats.
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