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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooee cooeed cooeeing

Up through the ferns came the thin note of Miss Bibby’s cooee.

From In the Mist of the Mountains by J. Macfarlane

Just at the moment we were preparing to shoot the bullock, we heard the cooee of a native, and in a short time two men were seen approaching and apparently desirous of having a parley.

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

And in another minute his soft "cooee" told his comrades that he had, sure enough, found the missing mark.

From Camp Fires of the Wolf Patrol by Alan Douglas

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

They continually fired at them, but, as far as I was able to judge, never went within cooee of one.

From Five Months at Anzac A Narrative of Personal Experiences of the Officer Commanding the 4th Field Ambulance, Australian Imperial Force by Joseph Lievesley Beeston

After a little time I missed the boy, and cooeed for him.

From Reminiscences of Queensland 1862-1869 by W. H. (William Henry) Corfield

He cooeed to the boy, who came up from one of the lower shelves of garden, and she followed him into the hall.

From Nobody's Man by E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim

I dismounted and cooeed; they answered; but when they saw me, they took such of their things as they could and crossed to the opposite side of the river in great hurry and confusion.

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

Once they were out of sight Peachy cooeed for Jess and Irene, who appeared bursting with laughter and demanding details, having witnessed the rout of the enemy from a distance.

From The Jolliest School of All by Angela Brazil

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

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

From Joe Wilson and His Mates by Henry Lawson

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