laughing jackass

American  

noun

1. kookaburra.

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laughing jackass British  

noun

1. another name for kookaburra

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Etymology

Origin of laughing jackass

First recorded in 1780–90; so called because of its loud braying sound

Example Sentences

He remembered now to have heard of the bird peculiar to Australia, popularly known as "the laughing jackass."

From In A New World or, Among The Gold Fields Of Australia by Alger, Horatio

The first time the author made the acquaintance of the "laughing jackass" was in the bird, fruit, and flower market on George Street.

From Under the Southern Cross or Travels in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Samoa, and Other Pacific Islands by Ballou, Maturin Murray

He is listening to the cry of the laughing jackass.

From Our Young Folks at Home and Abroad by Dale, Daphne

He is not confined, but loafs all over the house and grounds, like the laughing jackass.

From Following the Equator, Part 3 by Twain, Mark

We could hear the notes of several birds, and louder than all the rest of their voices was that of the laughing jackass, which has already been described.

From The Land of the Kangaroo Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey through the Great Island Continent by Knox, Thomas Wallace