n.
Pronunciation: ' n ī t- ˌ jär
Function: noun
Etymology: from its harsh sound
Date: 1630
: any of a family (Caprimulgidae) of medium-sized long-winged crepuscular or nocturnal birds (as the whip-poor-wills and nighthawks) having a short bill, short legs, and soft mottled plumage and feeding on insects which they catch on the wing ― called also goatsucker