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
Noun
The cuckoo bees wait for the host of the nest to leave in search of food before entering and laying their own eggs. Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 4 May 2023 Like cuckoo birds do with other birds' nests, these shimmery green creatures lay their eggs in other wasps’ nests, per the Australian Museum. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Oct. 2023 For instance, the researchers found the banded ground cuckoo already in 30-year-old recovery forests. WIRED, 17 Oct. 2023 The common cuckoo, native to Europe, is what is known as a brood parasite, surreptitiously laying its eggs in the nests of warblers and other bird species. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2023 Neighbors complain that the peacocks are driving them cuckoo, scratching up their homes and cars and creating messes on their driveways. Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2023 So over the years, when neighbors would grumble about peacocks driving them cuckoo, local officials would side with the birds. Patricia Mazzei Alfonso Duran, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2023 Meanwhile, the pigeon parents exit the balcony without a trace, but the young cuckoo returns, as if searching for his foster parents or his home. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2023 That doesn’t align with reality, however, as African cuckoos have strong numbers throughout Africa. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2023
Verb
In the insect world, these include cuckoo bees, cuckoo bumblebees, and cuckoo wasps. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2023 Could this be some version of cat and mouse, or canine and cuckoo? Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 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 The Cape Verde cuckoo bees are similar to a species from the Canary Islands, Straka says. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2012 Design is contemporary with bare concrete ceilings, wooden floors and vintage furniture, as well as fun touches like cuckoo clocks and dartboards in some of the 95 guestrooms. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022 If that wasn’t enough, the internet went deeply cuckoo trying to figure out if Styles spat on co-star Chris Pine’s lap during the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Frank Pallotta, CNN, 27 Sep. 2022 By peeping on cuckoo chicks during development, McClelland and her colleagues have homed in on one of the major strategies these birds, and several others like them, use to achieve their super-swole status at such a young age. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2021 In the Disney film, Geppetto is a maker of toys and cuckoo clocks living in a vaguely European half-timber house. Perri Klass, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2022 In the midst of such cuckoo-ness, my son, Isaac, and daughter-in-law, Lennon, had the courage to bring a child into this world. New York Times, 15 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cuckoo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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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Cite this Entry

“Cuckoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cuckoo. Accessed 19 Mar. 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

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