- present participle of coo.
cooing
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
adjective
-
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.
-
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
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cooing contentedly, the little girl toddled out the front gate and started down the road.
From Time Magazine Archive
Minneapolis Amphibious Cooing Sirs: I note that the word "pigeons" contains the letters "g" and "e" placed consecutively, but your sentence construction connotes the idea that the letters "G.I." should probably be used in substitution.
From Time Magazine Archive
To distinguish which are the Males and Females among Pigeons, it is chiefly known by the Voice and Cooing; the Female has a small weak Voice, and the Male a loud and deep Voice.
From The Country Housewife and Lady's Director in the Management of a House, and the Delights and Profits of a Farm by Bradley, Richard
"Why, what's the Cooing Column?" asked Mary, laughing.
From The Treasure of Heaven A Romance of Riches by Corelli, Marie
Interminable lines of truck-mounted guns rattle along, each great gun festively named, as for instance, "The Siren," or "Baby" or "The Peach" or "The Cooing Dove."
From The Martial Adventures of Henry and Me by White, William Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
