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

"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)

"Come back to that and cooee, and we'll answer you."

From A Little Bush Maid by Bruce, Mary Grant

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 Beeston, Joseph Lievesley

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 De la Mare, Walter

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

From In the Mist of the Mountains by Macfarlane, J.

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

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

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

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 Brazil, Angela

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)

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

From Joe Wilson and His Mates by Lawson, Henry