cuckoo

1 of 3

noun

plural cuckoos
1
: a largely grayish-brown European bird (Cuculus canorus) that is a parasite given to laying its eggs in the nests of other birds which hatch them and rear the offspring
broadly : any of a large family (Cuculidae of the order Cuculiformes) to which this bird belongs
2
: the call of the cuckoo
3
: a silly or slightly crackbrained person

Illustration of cuckoo

Illustration of cuckoo
  • cuckoo 1

cuckoo

2 of 3

verb

cuckooed; cuckooing; cuckoos

transitive verb

: to repeat monotonously as a cuckoo does its call

cuckoo

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or resembling the cuckoo
2
: deficient in sense or intelligence : silly

Did you know?

The cuckoo bird is so named for its one-note song, which in Middle English was represented as cuccu in imitation. Figurative use of cuckoo, which exists as an adjective meaning "crazy" or "weak in intellect or common sense," and as a noun for a person who can be described as such, may be an allusion to the bird's eponymous (and monotonous) call. But it may also be inspired by a peculiar habit exhibited by some species, in which a female will lay her eggs in the nest of another bird, to be hatched by that bird. In Old French, the name of the bird, cucu, also refers to a husband whose wife is unfaithful. That sense is believed to come from the female cuckoo bird's habit in some species of changing mates, or to the same egg-laying habit that influenced English figurative use. Cucu is also the source of English cuckold.

Examples of cuckoo in a Sentence

Noun one cuckoo at the campground tried to boil soup in a plastic cup didn't want to be among those cuckoos who race around the mall the day before Christmas Adjective a cuckoo woman who wandered around town carefully gathering up useless trash offered a completely cuckoo suggestion for using the defunct strip mall
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For evolutionary biologists, the term cuckoldry originated to describe cuckoo birds who lay their eggs in other species’ nests, leaving their offspring to be unknowingly raised by foster parents. Brooke Scelza, Scientific American, 19 Sep. 2024 The loss of common cuckoos, meanwhile, means that spring arrives in the U.K. without its iconic song. Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Verb
Opinions are divided on whether Cuckoo is too absurd for its own good, but horror fans looking for a few scares in late August would be, well, cuckoo not to decide for themselves. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 20 May 2024 In the insect world, these include cuckoo bees, cuckoo bumblebees, and cuckoo wasps. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Nick Offerman is also featured in the trailer as a cuckoo survivalist. Vulture, 3 Dec. 2022 For a host bird, raising a cuckoo baby along with its own young is expensive. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 25 Apr. 2014 See all Example Sentences for cuckoo 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cuccu, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1648, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cuckoo was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near cuckoo

Cite this Entry

“Cuckoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cuckoo. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cuckoo

1 of 2 noun
cuck·​oo ˈkük-ü How to pronounce cuckoo (audio) ˈku̇k- How to pronounce cuckoo (audio)
plural cuckoos
1
: a largely grayish brown European bird that lays its eggs in the nests of other birds for them to hatch
also : any of various related birds
2
: the call of a cuckoo

cuckoo

2 of 2 adjective
: short on sense or intelligence

More from Merriam-Webster on cuckoo

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