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

Ralph stopped continually to consult his compass, and occasionally gave a loud "cooee", in case they might find some wandering shepherd or countryman who would be able to help them.

From The Manor House School by Arthur A. Dixon

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

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

From In the Mist of the Mountains by J. Macfarlane

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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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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