goatsucker
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: goat-owl
A name popularly given to the nightjar, from the ancient and very widespread belief that this bird sucks the udders of goats. In Greek, Latin, French, Ger- man, Spanish, and some other languages its name has the same signification.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “goatsucker” mean?
A name popularly given to the nightjar, from the ancient and very widespread belief that this bird sucks the udders of goats. In Greek, Latin, French, Ger- man, Spanish, and some other languages its name has the same signification.
Is “goatsucker” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.