1Dusk, nightfall. Now archaic and rare.

2The hooting sound made by an owl; a sound imitating or resembling this.

3US slang. In form owlhoot. Especially in the language of Wild West fiction, etc.: a fugitive, an outlaw. Hence: a worthless or contemptible person. Frequently attributive, especially in "owlhoot trail" (used allusively with reference to the life of a fugitive or outlaw).