coot
Americannoun
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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.
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any of various other swimming or diving birds, especially the scoters.
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Informal. a foolish or crotchety person, especially one who is old.
noun
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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)
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a foolish person, esp an old man (often in the phrase old coot )
Etymology
Origin of coot
1250–1300; Middle English cote; cognate with Dutch koet
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.
Then, like winged Door Dash, Shadow arrived with a water bird called a coot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
On a recent sunny day at Green Lake, with nearby trees still waiting to bloom, a single coot floats by two brand-new docks.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
After scrambling in the water for food, this coot eventually caught a loach.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2023
In Ireland, efforts are underway to preserve the call of the corncrake — a small, shy bird related to the coot.
From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
On Mr. Bender’s side, some coot hens swim in and out of view between the cattails.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
