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 Bird Nest, 30 Years of Trash: A coot’s nest reveals that what humans throw away doesn’t really go away.
—
Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 1 May 2025
He’s given the Heisman by a crusty old coot guarding the entrance.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
Eurasian coots are round, black waterbirds with distinctive, chicken-like feet.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
Is the abundance of plastic in Eurasian coot nests necessarily bad?
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coot
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Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 1 May 2025
He’s given the Heisman by a crusty old coot guarding the entrance.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
Eurasian coots are round, black waterbirds with distinctive, chicken-like feet.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
Is the abundance of plastic in Eurasian coot nests necessarily bad?
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coot
Cite this Entry
“Coot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coot. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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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