coucal

[ koo-kuhl ]

noun
  1. any of several Old World cuckoos of the genus Centropus, having harsh-textured plumage and a long, daggerlike hind claw.

Origin of coucal

1
1805–15; <French, said to be equivalent to couc(ou) cuckoo + al(ouette) lark

Words Nearby coucal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use coucal in a sentence

  • The nest of the crow-pheasant or coucal is a massive structure, globular in shape, with the entrance at one side.

  • But for the fact that the brown wings do not match well with the rest of the plumage, I should call the coucal a handsome bird.

    Jungle Folk | Douglas Dewar
  • I have never actually observed it pick anything off a leaf, for the coucal is of a retiring disposition.

    Jungle Folk | Douglas Dewar
  • Unfortunately for the peace of mankind the coucal is not the only cuckoo that lifts up its voice in the night.

    Glimpses of Indian Birds | Douglas Dewar
  • The coucal or crow-pheasant, for example, is divided up into three local races.

    Jungle Folk | Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for coucal

coucal

/ (ˈkuːkæl, -kəl) /


noun
  1. any ground-living bird of the genus Centropus, of Africa, S Asia, and Australia, having long strong legs: family Cuculidae (cuckoos)

Origin of coucal

1
C19: from French, perhaps from couc (ou) cuckoo + al (ouette) lark

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