cuckoo

[ koo-koo, kook-oo ]

noun

, plural cuck·oos.

1. a common European bird, Cuculus canorus, of the family Cuculidae, noted for its characteristic call and its brood parasitism.
2. any of several other birds of the family Cuculidae.
3. the call of the cuckoo, or an imitation of it.
4. Slang. a crazy, silly, or foolish person; simpleton.

verb (used without object)

, cuck·ooed, cuck·oo·ing.

1. to utter the call of the cuckoo or an imitation of it.

verb (used with object)

, cuck·ooed, cuck·oo·ing.

1. to repeat monotonously.

adjective

1. Slang. crazy; silly; foolish.
2. of, relating to, or like a cuckoo.

cuckoo

/ ˈkʊkuː /

noun

1. any bird of the family Cuculidae, having pointed wings, a long tail, and zygodactyl feet: order Cuculiformes. Many species, including the European cuckoo ( Cuculus canorus ), lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and have a two-note call
2. informal.
   an insane or foolish person

adjective

1. informal.
   insane or foolish

interjection

1. an imitation or representation of the call of a cuckoo

verb

1. tr to repeat over and over
2. intr to make the sound imitated by the word cuckoo

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuckoo¹

1200–50; Middle English cuc ( c ) u, cuccuk ( e ) (imitative); compare Latin cucūlus, French coucou, German Kuckuk, Dutch koekoek, Modern Greek koûko

Word History and Origins

Origin of cuckoo¹

C13: from Old French cucu, of imitative origin; related to German kuckuck, Latin cucūlus, Greek kokkux

Idioms and Phrases

see cloud-cuckoo land .

Example Sentences

That’s a big dose of Murphy, who co-created both projects with flourishes familiar to fans of his oeuvre, including “American Horror Story,” “Feud” — the most recent installment of which focused on Truman Capote’s crash-and-burn relationship with ladies of New York high society — and “Ratched,” a macabre and admirably vivid prequel to “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

From Los Angeles Times

And yet California has massive rates of poverty, cuckoo housing costs that are forcing people to flee, and a shameful number of homeless people, many suffering from addiction, mental illness or both.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the needle drops littered throughout Tilman Singer’s horror flick “Cuckoo,” released in theaters Friday, were written into the script’s first draft in 2019.

From Los Angeles Times

Just like costuming or set design, music is a world-building tactic in “Cuckoo,” Singer said.

From Los Angeles Times

In the psychedelic horror trip that is “Cuckoo,” music serves as an emotional and narrative guide, telling “a different story” than the surface-level plot, Singer said.

From Los Angeles Times