coo¹

[koo]

See more synonyms for coo on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), cooed, coo·ing.

to utter or imitate the soft, murmuring sound characteristic of doves.
to murmur or talk fondly or amorously.

verb (used with object), cooed, coo·ing.

to utter by cooing.

noun

a cooing sound.

Origin of coo¹

First recorded in 1660–70; imitative

Related formscoo·er, nouncoo·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for cooing

Contemporary Examples

She was a cooing and cherubic mini-avatar called Anima, which players earned after reaching a certain level in the game Prius.
‘Love Child’ Game Over: Internet Addicts Let Their Baby Starve to Death
Nina Strochlic
July 21, 2014
Legendary Lovers” has her cooing at her man over sitar backing to “say my name like a scripture.
‘Prism’ Review: Katy Perry Perfects the Pop Blockbuster
Kevin Fallon
October 22, 2013
I grew up wanting the whole shebang: Prince Charming, white picket fence and our cooing angel-faced children.
Why I Choose to Be Child-Free: Readers Share Their Stories
Harry Siegel
February 27, 2013
Basil, cucumber, mangoes, the cooing of turtledoves on torrid afternoons, the screech of buses coming to a sudden halt.
André Aciman: How I Write
Noah Charney
November 28, 2012
With every breath, Wren made a cooing noise, but Jones looked online and saw that lots of newborns make funny sounds.
Home Birth: Increasingly Popular, But Dangerous
Michelle Goldberg
June 25, 2012

Historical Examples

By degrees her voice had lost its cooing tone and had risen to a shriek.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
"Yes, you're mighty nice and cooing when you got me where you want me," he jeered.
Alice Adams
Booth Tarkington
And so their life had hitherto been a game of love, an everlasting billing and cooing.
Fruitfulness
Emile Zola
He was cooing and blowing at little Katherine over the fringe of her towels.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
"That is the cooing of wood-pigeons or doves," said Mr. Fairchild.
The Fairchild Family
Mary Martha Sherwood

British Dictionary definitions for cooing

coo

verb coos, cooing or cooed

(intr) (of doves, pigeons, etc) to make a characteristic soft throaty call
(tr) to speak in a soft murmur
(intr) to murmur lovingly (esp in the phrase bill and coo)

noun

the sound of cooing

interjection

British slang an exclamation of surprise, awe, etc

Derived Formscooer, nouncooingly, adverb

CoO

abbreviation for

cost of ownership

COO

abbreviation for

chief operating officer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for cooing

coo

v.

1660s, echoic of doves; the phrase to bill and coo is first recorded 1816. Related: Cooing. The noun is recorded from 1729.

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Examples from the Web for cooing

Contemporary Examples

She was a cooing and cherubic mini-avatar called Anima, which players earned after reaching a certain level in the game Prius.

Legendary Lovers” has her cooing at her man over sitar backing to “say my name like a scripture.

I grew up wanting the whole shebang: Prince Charming, white picket fence and our cooing angel-faced children.

Basil, cucumber, mangoes, the cooing of turtledoves on torrid afternoons, the screech of buses coming to a sudden halt.

With every breath, Wren made a cooing noise, but Jones looked online and saw that lots of newborns make funny sounds.

Historical Examples

By degrees her voice had lost its cooing tone and had risen to a shriek.

"Yes, you're mighty nice and cooing when you got me where you want me," he jeered.

And so their life had hitherto been a game of love, an everlasting billing and cooing.

He was cooing and blowing at little Katherine over the fringe of her towels.

"That is the cooing of wood-pigeons or doves," said Mr. Fairchild.

coo

CoO

COO

Word Origin and History for cooing

coo

v.

coo¹

Origin of coo¹