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koel

American

[koh-uhl] / ˈkoʊ əl /

noun

any of several cuckoos of the genus Eudynamys, of India, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia.

koel British

/ ˈkəʊəl /

noun

any of several parasitic cuckoos of the genus Eudynamys, esp E. scolopacea, of S and SE Asia and Australia

"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

Etymology

Origin of koel

1820–30; < Hindi < Sanskrit kokila

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.

Wealthy overseas Pakistanis called in to donate large amounts of money as a koel chirped in the background.

From Slate • Jul. 15, 2020

In city parks, hoopoes and hornbills are plentiful; the haunting call of the koel can break the stillness of a muggy afternoon.

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2011

The sight of the koel affects a crow in much the same way as a red cloth irritates a bull.

From A Bird Calendar for Northern India by Dewar, Douglas

Among the latter the most prominent are the grey-necked crow, the koel, the myna, the king-crow and the magpie-robin.

From Birds of the Indian Hills by Dewar, Douglas

The koel takes full advantage of this fact.

From A Bird Calendar for Northern India by Dewar, Douglas

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023