poor-will

[ poor-wil ]

noun
  1. a goatsucker, Phalaenoptilus nuttallii, of western North America.

Origin of poor-will

1
An 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 Raymond
  • A whip-poor-will called, and its neighbor answered it like an echo.

    Wayside Courtships | Hamlin Garland
  • I feel melancholy as a whip-poor-will and took up pen and paper to sigh melodiously to you.

  • Then 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 Porter
  • A 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