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.

---

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

---

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

"They can't be far," I say reassuringly, and give a loud cooee, but there is no response.

From Round the Wonderful World by Forrest, A. S. (Archibald Stevenson)

We had not gone far, however, when a cooee reached our ears.

From Adventures in Australia by Kingston, William Henry Giles

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

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

This Colony can't come within a cooee of you with the beer, and I'm the first to own it!

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

She'd see a joke a mile off; sighted 'em as soon as they got within cooee.

From We of the Never-Never by Gunn, Jeannie

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

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

I cooeed to him; at which he looked up, but seemed to be at a loss what to do or say.

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 Leichhardt, Ludwig

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 Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)

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 Leichhardt, Ludwig

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 Leichhardt, Ludwig

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

From Joe Wilson and His Mates by Lawson, Henry