coot

[ koot ]

/ kut /

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noun

any aquatic bird of the genus Fulica, as F. americana, of North America, and F. atra, of the Old World, characterized by lobate toes and short wings and tail.

any of various other swimming or diving birds, especially the scoters.

Informal. a foolish or crotchety person, especially one who is old.

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Origin of coot

1250–1300; Middle English cote; cognate with Dutch koet

Words nearby coot

coordinator, Coorg, coorie, Coos, Coos Bay, coot, cootch, cooter, cootie, cooty, Coover

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coot in a sentence

The eagles, coots and some other birds lost their motor coordination, struggled to fly or even walk, and had seizures.
A toxin behind mysterious eagle die-offs may have finally been found|Susan Milius|March 26, 2021|Science News
The first guitar music he heard as a child came from a two-string acoustic that a family friend named Coot used to play.
‘When I Left Home’: The Life of Buddy Guy|Luke Epplin|June 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The soft “coot, coot” of a hen picking up grain on the old barn floor!
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
"Coot" Brandon was one of "Jeb" Stuart's rangers, and came every day for corn for his horse.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various

He did not give the expected coot, but came through the forest glade silently and with a halting step.
Country Neighbors|Alice Brown
I have heard of the loons doing something like that, but I didn't suppose a coot had sense enough for that.
Jack the Young Canoeman|George Bird Grinnell
The coot is less often seen, but the heron will be often disturbed from its busy occupation on the shallows.
Rivers of Great Britain. The Thames, from Source to Sea.|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for coot

coot

/ (kuːt) /

noun

any aquatic bird of the genus Fulica, esp F. atra of Europe and Asia, having lobed toes, dark plumage, and a white bill with a frontal shield: family Rallidae (rails, crakes, etc)

a foolish person, esp an old man (often in the phrase old coot)

Word Origin for coot

C14: probably from Low German; compare Dutch koet

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