cuckoo
noun
a common European bird, Cuculus canorus, of the family Cuculidae, noted for its characteristic call and its brood parasitism.
cuckoos
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pluralof cuckoo.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among the more poignant moments, Charles laments the loss of wildlife at Highgrove, noting when he first moved in there nearly five decades ago he would hear cuckoos and see grasshoppers.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
These efforts have helped protect a refuge for birds including willow flycatchers and yellow-billed cuckoos.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2024
If, for example, there are many sparrowhawk-like cuckoos or many sparrowhawks, the host birds learn over time to distinguish whether the bird in front of them is a sparrowhawk or a cuckoo.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2024
Pigeons, meanwhile, which were originally thought to be cousins with flamingos, belong to an entirely different branch and actually bear a much stronger genetic resemblance to cuckoos.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 31, 2024
While I saw birds aplenty, heard them too—wood pigeons, cuckoos, thrushes—I wondered if England had no human souls.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
