cockatoo

American  

[kok-uh-too, kok-uh-too] / ˈkɒk əˌtu, ˌkɒk əˈtu /

noun

cockatoos plural

1. any of numerous large, noisy, crested parrots of the genera Cacatua, Callocephalon, Calyptorhynchus, etc., of the Australasian region, having chiefly white plumage tinged with yellow, pink, or red: popular as a pet.

2. Australian.

   1. a person who owns and works a small farm or ranch.

   2. Slang. a lookout posted by criminals or the operators of illegal gambling games.

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cockatoo British  

/ ˌkɒkəˈtuː, ˈkɒkəˌtuː /

noun

1. any of various parrots of the genus Kakatoe and related genera, such as K. galerita ( sulphur-crested cockatoo ), of Australia and New Guinea. They have an erectile crest and most of them are light-coloured

2. a small farmer or settler

3. informal a lookout during some illegal activity

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cockatoos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cockatoo

1610–20; < Dutch kaketoe < Malay kakatua, perhaps etymologizing alteration of Central Moluccan jaka any psittacine bird, by association with Malay kakak sibling, kakak tua older sibling); spelling copies cock ¹

Compare meaning

How does cockatoo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cockatoo vs. cockatiel

Explanation

A cockatoo is a noisy, sociable type of parrot that has a moveable crest on the top of its head. Because they're smart, funny,m and showy, cockatoos are often kept as pets. Cockatoos are usually black and white, less colorful than other parrots, and they're generally bigger and louder too. One exception is the cockatiel, a type of cockatoo that's about 12 inches tall and is a very popular pet. Cockatoos are native to Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands, where they nest in trees and feed on seeds, insects, fruit, and flowers. Their name comes from the Malay kakatua, which may derive from the sound these noisy birds make.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cockatoo cockatoos

Why did Bayern Munich players wear cockatoo T-shirts?

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

The Franco-Belgian couturier referenced the extravagant plumage of a roseate spoonbill or the crested cockatoo alongside the humble crow, grey pigeon and magpie.

From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026

But my wife and I have had a cockatoo for 40 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025

People think cockatoos are huge, and usually they are, but you get a little Goffin’s cockatoo that’s compact and zoomy and brilliant.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2025

The cockatoo flapped and squawked until she stuck the novelty earring, its favorite toy, in its beak.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Birds are all across the board, really smart, but Goffin’s cockatoos are very zoomy.

From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2025

The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants as well as mandarin ducks, Kozlov's office said.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2024

But a few of the cockatoos are more discriminating, customizing their meals with one final flourish: Before eating the rock-hard rusk, they dunk it in a tub of water.

From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2023

But you could walk around, and you could hold your hand out and they would come … there were macaws and cockatoos, they were just wonderful.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2023

Across the pond Seth yelled, and a small flock of cockatoos took flight.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull