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

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

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

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

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

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

From Adventures in Australia by William Henry Giles Kingston

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

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

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

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

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

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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