1
: any of various slaty-black birds (genus Fulica) of the rail family that somewhat resemble ducks and have lobed toes and the upper mandible prolonged on the forehead as a horny frontal shield
2
: any of several North American scoters
3
: a harmless simple person
broadly
: fellow sense 4c
Examples of coot in a Sentence
Don't mind him—he's just a crazy old coot.
Recent Examples on the Web
One of those ordinary people is a drunk old coot named Tomas, who offers a ride and shelter to Elena and Zubak in the midst of a 9 p.m. curfew and intensifying search to find them and bring them to justice.
—
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2024
The wetland attracts birds, such as coots and tricolored blackbirds, and also recharges the aquifer that the roots of cottonwoods and willows tap into.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2024
Jamie Smart, aged eight, was recognized for his striking image of a pheasant sitting on a farm gate beside blossoming blackthorn in spring, while 17-year-old Max Wood won the overall young photographer title with his photo of a coot running across a misty lake in Surrey, UK.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
Unable to obtain carcasses of Eurasian coot or teal, the researchers used the wing bones of two female mallard ducks.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for coot 
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2024
The wetland attracts birds, such as coots and tricolored blackbirds, and also recharges the aquifer that the roots of cottonwoods and willows tap into.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2024
Jamie Smart, aged eight, was recognized for his striking image of a pheasant sitting on a farm gate beside blossoming blackthorn in spring, while 17-year-old Max Wood won the overall young photographer title with his photo of a coot running across a misty lake in Surrey, UK.
—Nell Lewis, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024
Unable to obtain carcasses of Eurasian coot or teal, the researchers used the wing bones of two female mallard ducks.
—Franz Lidz, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for coot
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Coot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coot. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coot
noun1
: a slaty-black bird of the rail family that somewhat resembles a duck
2
: any of several North American scoters
3
: a harmless simple person
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