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cuckoo

[koo-koo, kook-oo]

Origin

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noun

a common European bird, Cuculus canorus, of the family Cuculidae, noted for its characteristic call and its brood parasitism.

any of several other birds of the family Cuculidae.

the call of the cuckoo, or an imitation of it.

Slang. a crazy, silly, or foolish person; simpleton.

verb (used without object)

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

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Cuckoo is always a great word to know.

So is fubar. Does it mean:

a state, atmosphere, or mood of ease and gentle relaxation

not working, completely messed up, bungled, confused

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verb (used with object)

to repeat monotonously.

adjective

Slang. crazy; silly; foolish.

of, pertaining to, or like a cuckoo.

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To cuckoo

Collins

World English Dictionary

cuckoo (ˈkʊkuː)

—n , pl -oos
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

—*adj*
3.	informal insane or foolish

—*interj*
4.	an imitation or representation of the call of a cuckoo

—vb , -oos, -oos, -ooing, -ooed
5.	(tr) to repeat over and over
6.	(intr) to make the sound imitated by the word cuckoo

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

cuckoo

c.1240, from O.Fr. cucu, echoic of the male bird's mating cry (cf. Gk. kokkyx, L. cuculus, Skt. kokilas). Slang sense of "crazy" (adj.) is Amer.Eng. 1918, but noun meaning "stupid person" is first recorded 1581, perhaps from the bird's unvarying, oft-repeated call. The O.E. was geac, cognate with O.N.

EXPAND

gaukr, source of Scot. and northern Eng. gowk. The Gmc. words were presumably originally echoic, too, but had drifted in form and were replaced by the Fr. form. Cuckoo clock is from 1789.

COLLAPSE

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

coo-coo definition

and cuckoo

mod.
unconscious. : I socked him on the snoot and knocked him coo-coo.
mod.
insane. : How did I ever get involved in this cuckoo scheme, anyway?

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Easton

Bible Dictionary

Cuckoo definition

(Heb. shahaph), from a root meaning "to be lean; slender." This bird is mentioned only in Lev. 11:16 and Deut. 14:15 (R.V., "seamew"). Some have interpreted the Hebrew word by "petrel" or "shearwater" (Puffinus cinereus), which is found on the coast of Syria; others think it denotes the "sea-gull" or "seamew." The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) feeds on reptiles and large insects. It is found in Asia and Africa as well as in Europe. It only passes the winter in Palestine. The Arabs suppose it to utter the cry _Yakub_, and hence they call it _tir el-Yakub_; i.e., "Jacob's bird."

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

cuckoo

see cloud-cuckoo land.