coo
verb (used without object)
to utter or imitate the soft, murmuring sound characteristic of doves.
coo
1 American
[koo]
/ ku /
verb (used without object)
-
coos,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cooed,
past participle, past
-
cooing
present participle
-
to utter or imitate the soft, murmuring sound characteristic of doves.
-
to murmur or talk fondly or amorously.
verb (used with object)
-
coos,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cooed,
past participle, past
-
cooing
present participle
noun
-
coos
plural
coo
2
American
[koo]
/ ku /
interjection
British Slang.
Coo
3
American
[kaw-aw]
/ ˈkɔ ɔ /
noun
COO
4
American
coo
1
British
/ kuː /
verb
-
(intr) (of doves, pigeons, etc) to make a characteristic soft throaty call
-
(tr) to speak in a soft murmur
-
(intr) to murmur lovingly (esp in the phrase bill and coo )
noun
interjection
CoO
2
British
abbreviation
COO
3
British
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
coosimple
-
coossimple
-
have cooedperfect
-
has cooedperfect
-
am cooingprogressive
-
are cooingprogressive
-
is cooingprogressive
-
have been cooingperfect progressive
-
has been cooingperfect progressive
Past
-
cooedsimple
-
had cooedperfect
-
was cooingprogressive
-
were cooingprogressive
-
had been cooingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of coo1
First recorded in 1660–70; imitative
Origin of coo2
First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain
Explanation
A coo is the low, sweet sound that a bird makes, especially a dove or pigeon. If a dove builds a nest outside your open window, you'll be able to hear its coos every morning. There is a small, gray pigeon that's called a mourning dove because its coo is so sad sounding. When you hear a bird making this distinctive sound, you can also say that it coos — and if a person murmurs in a low, soft voice, you can say that she coos too. The word coo has been used since at least the late 1600s, and its origin is probably imitative, the word sounding very much like the sound it describes.
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.
See Examples For:
As the family is photographed, several Aces members come in and pause for a brief hug and coo before ducking quickly out of frame.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
Within the Bubble, the perpetually peppy Lindy is in constant conversation with her friends; she chats away with the cadence — and vocal fry — of a family-friendly YouTuber, and they coo back.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2024
If at all possible, you should live in a place where you don't have to constantly be looking over your shoulder in fear while you coo at the baby.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2024
Like “The Osbournes” heads of the household before them, Lachey and Simpson were already married before the cameras moved in, leaving us no opportunities to coo over rose petals, sequins and tulle.
From Salon ● Jan. 5, 2024
The two of them coo at me together now.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Thailand’s Komet Sukprasert was the silver medalist with bronze for Patrick Bren Coo of the Philippines.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
Police said they believed the single-vehicle crash had happened between 21:00 on Thursday and the early hours of Friday near the island's Coo Road.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2022
She wore a T-shirt at the hearing that read “It’s Coo To Be Kind” and said she had fond memories of giving the birds treats with her grandparents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2017
A songwriter for Levy’s record label, Peter Shelley, had written My Coo Ca Choo and wanted a distinctive performer to front it.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 23, 2014
He wondered if she still planned to vote for Coo.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
The AI company’s former COO said he was leaving to “start something new.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Rams COO Tony Pastoors says the team isn’t rushing Aaron Donald to make a comeback decision, saying they’d rather have him during the season than July.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
"Everybody is still wrapping their head around it," said Mike Mosallam, COO of production company Shadowbox Studios, in an interview with Variety as recently 2025.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Esports Foundation COO and deputy CEO Mike McCabe says the biggest challenge when relocating the event to Paris's Porte de Versailles exhibition centre was time.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The COO, Mari, turns to Hideo and asks him something in Japanese.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
Three characteristic oxides of cobalt are known, the monoxide, CoO, the sesquioxide, Co2O3, and tricobalt tetroxide, Co3O4; besides these there are probably oxides of composition CoO2, Co8O9, Co6O7 and Co4O5.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various
PO4, it is decomposed into the metaphosphate of sodium, NaPO3, CoO + NaPO3 = CoNaPO4.
From The Elements of Blowpipe Analysis by Frederick Hutton Getman
CoO, or smalt, gives blue; uranium oxide, green; a mixture of Au and Sn of uncertain composition, called the "purple of Cassius," gives purple.
From An Introduction to Chemical Science by Rufus Phillips Williams
Cobalt monoxide, CoO, is prepared by heating the hydroxide or carbonate in a current of air, or by heating the oxide Co3O4 in a current of carbon dioxide.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various
In one of their most popular videos, the pair coos to the camera.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
“Slap the City” clatters and coos with R&B falsetto and at least makes the blank nihilism of Drake’s dating life feel self-aware.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
“I actually really admire your honesty,” he coos.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
“Daddy’s taking movies again,” coos Nicole, who met Simpson when she was 18, as she cuddles her infant child on the beach.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024
He doesn't seem the least bit frightened of me and coos as he looks for the perfect perch on the metal railing.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
“I throw my cellular device in the water,” she cooed blissfully in the LP’s strummy title track, “Can you reach me? No, you can’t.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025
Then, while French pigeons cooed outside and strong coffee brewed on the Moka pot, we sat down and ate.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2023
He suckled readily, smiled and cooed, charmed his mother.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2023
“Welcome,” Amanda cooed, sweeping Maggie into a hug.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2023
Beefy cooed, waking up as Seven struggled to get a blow dart from her harness.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
They alternate among softer cooing, silent breakdowns, half-rapped bridges, and multitracked vocals designed to encourage stadium singalongs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Instead, I’d laugh, cooing for more lemon to revel in those strong sensations over and over again.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025
You could hear them cooing inside the courtroom as they flipped through children's books.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
McVay making faces and cooing baby talk on a video call.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024
All of a sudden, I hear something cooing.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
