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
This is a man who has spent pretty much his entire adult life pretending to be a harmless old coot from Congress.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 11, 2022
A coot hen on Mr. Bender’s side disturbs the water every few minutes, diving for something on the bottom.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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.
