HOW TO PRONOUNCE
cuckoo
/ˈkuku/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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What does cuckoo mean?
noun
- Any of various birds, of the family Cuculidae within the order Cuculiformes, famous for laying its eggs in the nests of other species; but especially a common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), that has a characteristic two-note call.
- The sound of that particular bird.
- The bird-shaped figure found in cuckoo clocks.
More meanings (10)
noun
- The cuckoo clock itself.
- A person who inveigles themselves into a place where they should not be (used especially in the phrase a cuckoo in the nest).
- (slang) Someone who is crazy.
- Alternative form of coo-coo (Barbadian food).
- Alternative form of ku ku jiao (the penis)
verb
- To make the call of a cuckoo.
- To repeat something incessantly.
- To take over the home of a vulnerable person for the purposes of carrying out organized crime in a concealed way.
adjective
- (slang) Crazy; not sane.
proper noun
- A locality in Dorset council area, north eastern Tasmania, Australia.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈkuku/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
For you know, nuncle, The hedge-sparrow fed the cuckoo so long That it’s had it head bit off by it young.
The birds, to whom the secret of the hooting cuckoo is unknown, must have set down to instinct this premonitory bustle.
More book examples (3)
Anon were heard the dreamy voices of summer with its myriad insects, the gentle pattering of rain, the wail of the cuckoo.
Many theories, even phrenological theories, have been advanced to explain the origin of the cuckoo laying its eggs in other birds' nests.
“They hardly ever stand still,” he said, but for one moment Wendy saw the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock.