cooing

American  

[koo-ing] / ˈku ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of uttering or imitating the soft murmuring sound characteristic of doves.

   Jim recognized the sound as the cooing of a pigeon, although some of us thought it was an owl.

2. the act of murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   I’m no fan of fancy goodies—not for me the cooing over iced Halloween cupcakes topped with fondant pumpkins.

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adjective

1. making the sound characteristic of doves.

   Since February, the lake has come alive again with a few pairs of mallards and a cooing eider duck.

2. murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   Strolling on the boardwalk were cooing couples, briefcase-toting executives, and chattering children with their nannies.

Other Word Forms

• cooingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of cooing

First recorded in 1660–70; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

It’s piled with pigeons in cages, cooing and hopping about.

From Literature

A couple of the Rhode Island Reds are clucking and cooing around her feet.

From Literature

And then I let the cooing doves sing me to sleep.

From Literature

He’d seen plenty of polar bear cubs from inside his parents’ tundra buggy, but never one this close-up, and suddenly he was cooing like the sappiest tourist.

From Literature

“Nah,” I thought, as I watched the cooing baby in my arms.

From Salon

Related Words

• murmur