cooee

American  

[koo-ee] / ˈku i /

noun

1. a prolonged, shrill, clear call or cry used as a signal by Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia and adopted by the settlers in the country.

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verb (used without object)

cooeed, cooeeing

1. to utter the call “cooee.”

cooee British  

/ ˈkuːiː /

interjection

1. a call used to attract attention, esp (originally) a long loud high-pitched call on two notes used in the Australian bush

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verb

1. (intr) to utter this call

noun

1. informal calling distance (esp in the phrase within ( a ) cooee ( of ))

Etymology

Origin of cooee

First recorded in 1780–90, cooee is from the Dharuk word gu-wī

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooee cooeed cooeeing

And presently after I heard from afar his high, melancholy "cooee," and the crack of his thong in the afternoon air as he hastened out to his charges.

From Henry Brocken His Travels and Adventures in the Rich, Strange, Scarce-Imaginable Regions of Romance by Walter De la Mare

Then looked a little troubled, for cooee was to be interpreted that all was well.

From In the Mist of the Mountains by J. Macfarlane

Now, I'll stay here," she said, "in the shade of the trees, while you go round and round; and if you don't find her here, go right over the ridge and cooee every few seconds.

From The Girl Crusoes A Story of the South Seas by Mrs. Herbert Strang

On page 68, the word "looee" was replaced with "cooee".

From At Large by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

So we lay these weeks within cooee of a nest of our enemies, who were permitted the safety and comfort of a peaceful home almost within our lines.

From "Over There" with the Australians by R. Hugh (Reginald Hugh) Knyvett

Charlie pulled up in front of the house, and cooeed.

From Outback Marriage, an : a story of Australian life by A. B. (Andrew Barton) Paterson

I cooeed, which disturbed the dogs of the camp; but the cold wind blew so strong from the east, that I feared Charley would either not hear my cooee, or I not his.

From Journal of an Overland Expedition in Australia : from Moreton Bay to Port Essington, a distance of upwards of 3000 miles, during the years 1844-1845 by Ludwig Leichhardt

The chums called, whistled, halloed, and cooeed until they were hoarse, but not a soul took the slightest notice.

From The Madcap of the School by Balliol Salmon

I could hear him at night sometimes felling trees for exercise, and occasionally he would answer me when I cooeed.

From Missing Friends Being the Adventures of a Danish Emigrant in Queensland (1871-1880) by Thorvald Weitemeyer

I hallooed and cooeed as loudly as I could, but the wind was in the wrong direction and carried my voice away, and the stream was noisy, so I couldn't make them hear me.

From For the School Colours by Angela Brazil

Search-parties cooeeing to each other about the Bush, and lighting signal-fires.

From Joe Wilson and His Mates by Henry Lawson