'Cuckoo' definitions:
Definition of 'cuckoo'
From: WordNet
Definition of 'Cuckoo'
From: GCIDE
- Cuckoo \Cuck"oo\ (k[oo^]k"[=oo]), n. [OE. coccou, cukkow, F. coucou, prob. of imitative origin; cf. L. cuculus, Gr. ????, Skr. k?ki?a, G. kuckuk, D. koekoek.] (Zool.) A bird belonging to Cuculus, Coccyzus, and several allied genera, of many species. [1913 Webster]
- Note: The European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) builds no nest of its own, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched by them. The American yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus Americanus) and the black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus) build their own nests. [1913 Webster]
- Cuckoo clock, a clock so constructed that at the time for striking it gives forth sounds resembling the cry of the cuckoo.
- Cuckoo dove (Zool.), a long-tailed pigeon of the genus Macropygia. Many species inhabit the East Indies.
- Cuckoo fish (Zool.), the European red gurnard ({Trigla cuculus}). The name probably alludes to the sound that it utters.
- Cuckoo falcon (Zool.), any falcon of the genus Baza. The genus inhabits Africa and the East Indies.
- Cuckoo maid (Zool.), the wryneck; -- called also {cuckoo mate}.
- Cuckoo ray (Zool.), a British ray (Raia miraletus).
- Cuckoo spit, or Cuckoo spittle. (a) A frothy secretion found upon plants, exuded by the larvae of certain insects, for concealment; -- called also toad spittle and frog spit. (b) (Zool.) A small hemipterous insect, the larva of which, living on grass and the leaves of plants, exudes this secretion. The insects belong to Aphrophora, Helochara, and allied genera.
- Ground cuckoo, the chaparral cock. [1913 Webster]
Definition of 'Cuckoo'
From: Easton
- Cuckoo (Heb. shahaph), from a root meaning "to be lean; slender." This bird is mentioned only in Lev. 11:16 and Deut. 14:15 (R.V., "seamew"). Some have interpreted the Hebrew word by "petrel" or "shearwater" (Puffinus cinereus), which is found on the coast of Syria; others think it denotes the "sea-gull" or "seamew." The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) feeds on reptiles and large insects. It is found in Asia and Africa as well as in Europe. It only passes the winter in Palestine. The Arabs suppose it to utter the cry _Yakub_, and hence they call it _tir el-Yakub_; i.e., "Jacob's bird."
Synonyms of 'cuckoo'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- ape,
- balmy,
- bananas,
- barmy,
- bats,
- batty,
- beany,
- bonkers,
- buggy,
- bughouse,
- bugs,
- bulbul,
- cackle,
- call,
- canary,
- carol,
- caw,
- chatter,
- cheep,
- chirk,
- chirp,
- chirr,
- chirrup,
- chitter,
- chuck,
- clack,
- cluck,
- cock-a-doodle-doo,
- conformist,
- coo,
- copier,
- copycat,
- copyist,
- counterfeiter,
- crackbrain,
- crackbrained,
- cracked,
- crackers,
- crank,
- cranky,
- crazed,
- crazy,
- croak,
- cronk,
- crow,
- daffy,
- daft,
- ding-a-ling,
- dippy,
- dissembler,
- dissimulator,
- dotty,
- drum,
- echo,
- echoer,
- echoist,
- faker,
- feathered songster,
- flaky,
- flipped,
- forger,
- freaked-out,
- fruitcakey,
- fruity,
- gabble,
- gaga,
- gaggle,
- gobble,
- goofy,
- guggle,
- harebrain,
- haywire,
- honk,
- hoo,
- hoot,
- hypocrite,
- imitator,
- impersonator,
- impostor,
- just plain nuts,
- kook,
- kooky,
- lark,
- loony,
- loopy,
- lunatic,
- mavis,
- mime,
- mimer,
- mimic,
- mimicker,
- mocker,
- mockingbird,
- monkey,
- nightingale,
- nut,
- nuts,
- nutty,
- off the hinges,
- off the track,
- off the wall,
- oriole,
- parrot,
- peep,
- Philomel,
- phony,
- pip,
- pipe,
- plagiarist,
- poll-parrot,
- polly,
- polly-parrot,
- poseur,
- potty,
- quack,
- ringdove,
- roll,
- round the bend,
- scold,
- screwball,
- screwballs,
- screwy,
- sheep,
- simulator,
- sing,
- singing bird,
- slaphappy,
- song sparrow,
- songbird,
- songster,
- squawk,
- thrush,
- trill,
- tweet,
- twit,
- twitter,
- wacky,
- warble,
- warbler,
- whistle