'He peered owlishly over his glasses' what does it mean? thank you

Question

0 Could you please tell me what 'peered owlishly' mean in this sentence. I have looked up the word 'owlishly' in the dictionary but it just says 'in an owlish manner' . Thanks. 02br02br00He 01font00peered owlishly 02font00over his glasses.02br02br00Best wishes,02br02br00Ernest0-

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

0 01i00He peered 01b00like an owl 02b00over his glasses.02i02br
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00 You can make whatever out of this: severe, watchfully, etc. 0-

Peaceblinkfriend · Answer

0I think I know what you mean, Marius Hancu.05000 Thanks for replying to my post.02br
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00You mean that there are no definite meanings, right? 02br
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00Thanks again02br
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00Best wishes,02br
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00Ernest010id5

Marius Hancu · Answer

0 Nothing specific, you need to imagine ...0-

Yankee · Answer

0The use of the word 01i00owlishly02i00 here suggests that he looked serious and/or intelligent.0-

Nona the brit · Answer

0Owls are considered wise/intelligent. They also have large slow-blinking eyes.02br
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00I would think this is a combination of wide-eyed/blinking plus with an intelligent look. 02br
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00'owlish' as a description suits Harry Potter, if that helps.0-

Peaceblinkfriend · Answer

0 I think I know more about 01i00owlishly 02i00now. Thank you for your help, nona the brit, Yankee and Marius Hancu. 05002br
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00I would like to know if people still use this word or it would only be found in old texts. 05102br
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00Best wishes,02br
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00Ernest010id111id5

Anonymous · Answer

Steven Erikson used it in the fantasy novel Deadhouse Gates, which is why I googled the term and found myself here. I think Nona has the right spin on it. I would add that there might mave been something predatory in the gaze, since owls are fierce predators, if it fits the context. I think it helps if you have observed owls (via documentaries for most of us).

As a different example, I talk about my dog's big Labrador grin, which conveys all kinds of meaning to people who have had Labrador Retrievers and almost nothing to people who are not familiar with the breed.

C.Lyn · Answer

The term is not that common in modern texts. I've seen it used in modern fantasy and science fiction texts. Period pieces (historical fiction) also sometimes use this term to emulate the language of old texts. I would guess that this term has not been used heavily since the turn of the twentieth century.

'He peered owlishly over his glasses' what does it mean? thank you

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