cuckoo

[ koo-koo, kook-oo ]

/ ˈku ku, ˈkʊk u /

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See synonyms for: cuckoo / cuckoos on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural cuck·oos.

a common European bird, Cuculus canorus, of the family Cuculidae, noted for its characteristic call and its brood parasitism.

any of several other birds of the family Cuculidae.

the call of the cuckoo, or an imitation of it.

Slang. a crazy, silly, or foolish person; simpleton.

verb (used without object), cuck·ooed, cuck·oo·ing.

to utter the call of the cuckoo or an imitation of it.

verb (used with object), cuck·ooed, cuck·oo·ing.

to repeat monotonously.

adjective

Slang. crazy; silly; foolish.

of, relating to, or like a cuckoo.

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Origin of cuckoo

1200–50; Middle English cuc(c)u, cuccuk(e) (imitative); compare Latin cucūlus,French coucou,German Kuckuk,Dutch koekoek,Modern Greek koûko

Words nearby cuckoo

Cuchulainn, cucking stool, cuckold, cuckoldry, cuckold's knot, cuckoo, cuckoo bee, cuckoo clock, cuckooflower, cuckoopint, cuckoo-shrike

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

How to use cuckoo in a sentence

In areas with such beetle eaters as butcherbirds and cuckoo-shrikes, the researchers checked for beak marks indicating bird attacks.
Mirror beetles’ shiny bodies may not act as camouflage after all|Susan Milius|March 9, 2022|Science News
It also cannot discern between certain species that look alike, such as cuckoos and sparrowhawks.
Your Flickr photos could help scientists keep tabs on wildlife|Charlotte Hu|August 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Hashtag patriots are cobbling together a legend around Maricopa that fits into the cuckoo mythology of Trumpism.
The mess in Maricopa|Dan Zak|May 21, 2021|Washington Post
I want the rebirth, the renewal, the rejuvenation, the dewdrops and showers, the first cuckoos and ascendant larks, the dooryard lilacs and budding twigs.
Beyond Vivaldi, a classical playlist to bring on the spring|Michael Andor Brodeur|April 2, 2021|Washington Post

We understand—who would want to give up the angelic Keita, even if it means raising a cuckoo?
The Oscar International Film Festival: ‘Stranger By the Lake’ and Foreign Films You Should Watch|Jimmy So|February 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She Said: Jace, their daughter was on the verge of another home invasion at the hands of Cuckoo Disfigured Larry.
The Craziest Show on TV|Jace Lacob, Maria Elena Fernandez|November 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He benefited, of course, from an opposition party that went a little cuckoo.
Will Jobs Numbers Sink Obama in 2012?|Michael Tomasky|June 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
From the point of view of the Notre Dame football team, that had to be something of a relief: She was an unbalanced cuckoo clock.
Notre Dame's Shameful Suicide Scandal|Buzz Bissinger|January 6, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Among the variety of birds, several black cockatoos and the pheasant cuckoo were seen.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
A lovely bracket of carved wood fixed to the wall held a cheap cuckoo-clock from Switzerland.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
Suddenly he takes out his pipe, plays "cuckoo" to himself very solemnly, and is immensely relieved thereby.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
Soon a cuckoo called from the distance and in a few moments the caravan was ready to move on.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
Cuckoo Peter has read in the holy books that 'the goods of the sinner are reserved for the just!'
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for cuckoo

cuckoo

/ (ˈkʊkuː) /

noun plural -oos

any bird of the family Cuculidae, having pointed wings, a long tail, and zygodactyl feet: order Cuculiformes. Many species, including the European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and have a two-note call

informal an insane or foolish person

adjective

informal insane or foolish

interjection

an imitation or representation of the call of a cuckoo

verb -oos, -ooing or -ooed

(tr) to repeat over and over

(intr) to make the sound imitated by the word cuckoo

Word Origin for cuckoo

C13: from Old French cucu, of imitative origin; related to German kuckuck, Latin cucūlus, Greek kokkux

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cuckoo

cuckoo

see cloud-cuckoo land.

cuckoo

Origin of cuckoo

Words nearby cuckoo

Words related to cuckoo

How to use cuckoo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cuckoo

Word Origin for cuckoo

Other Idioms and Phrases with cuckoo