poor-will
[ poor-wil ]
noun
a goatsucker, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, of western North America.
Origin of poor-will
1An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; imitative
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use poor-will in a sentence
I hear a whip-poor-will away off somewhere in the distance, and it's too mournful a sound for my mood.
Dorothy at Skyrie | Evelyn RaymondA whip-poor-will called, and its neighbor answered it like an echo.
Wayside Courtships | Hamlin GarlandI feel melancholy as a whip-poor-will and took up pen and paper to sigh melodiously to you.
The Letters of William James, Vol. 1 | William JamesThen a night hawk screamed, a whip-poor-will complained, a belated killdeer swept the sky, and the night wind sang a louder song.
A Girl Of The Limberlost | Gene Stratton PorterA whip-poor-will wailed in the swamp and beside the blue-bordered pool a chat complained disconsolately.
A Girl Of The Limberlost | Gene Stratton Porter
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