American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition - n. Any of various small owls of the genus Otus,
especially O. asio, of North America, having ear tufts and a
quavering whistlelike call. Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia -
n. An owl that screeches, as distinguished from one that hoots:
applied to various species. In Great Britain it is a common name
of the barn-owl. In the United States it is specifically applied
to the small horned owls of the genus Scops (or Megascops). See
red owl(under red), and compare saw-whet. GNU Webster's 1913 -
n. (Zoöl.) The European barn owl. The name is applied also to
other species. - n. any owl that has a screeching cry - n. small
North American owl having hornlike tufts of feathers whose call
sounds like a quavering whistle - From the fact that these
species are owls which emit screeching calls. (Wiktionary)
Sorry, no example sentences found. These user-created lists
contain the word ‘screech owl’. Long ago, I learned a useful
habit from a good friend: Ev