to utter or imitate the soft, murmuring sound characteristic of doves.
to murmur or talk fondly or amorously.
(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 )
First recorded in 1660–70; imitative
First recorded in 1910–15; origin uncertain
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
After My Coo Ca Choo, the singer had a 1974 No 1 hit with Jealous Mind, and enjoyed more than a dozen hits into the 1980s.
From The Guardian • Oct. 23, 2014
Armpit felt pretty silly carrying Coo to school on Tuesday, and wished he had taken his backpack.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
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.
