cuckoo
/'kuku:/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A type of bird: A bird belonging to a large family (Cuculidae), many species of which are known for their characteristic two-note call and for laying their eggs in the nests of other birds.
- A foolish person (informal): A silly, eccentric, or incompetent person.
Verb:
- To repeat monotonously: To make the call of the cuckoo bird, or by extension, to repeat something in a simple, persistent, and often annoying way.
Examples of Usage
- Noun (Bird):
- We heard a cuckoo calling from the woods.
- The common cuckoo is known for its brood parasitism.
- Noun (Person):
- Don't listen to him; he's a bit of a cuckoo.
- Verb:
- The old clock cuckooed every hour.
- He just cuckooed the same complaint all day long.
Advanced Usage
- "a cuckoo in the nest": An unwelcome intruder in a place or situation, especially one who threatens the rightful occupants. This idiom derives from the bird's nesting behavior.
- The new manager was seen as a cuckoo in the nest by the old staff.
Variants and Related Words
- Cuckoo clock (n): A clock that announces the hours with a sound like a cuckoo's call.
- The cuckoo clock on the wall chimed noon.
- Cuckold (n): (Historically related, from the Old French , referring to the cuckoo's habit) A man whose wife is unfaithful.
Synonyms
- Noun (Bird): No precise common synonym.
- Noun (Person): fool, simpleton, nutcase (slang), loon (informal).
- Verb: repeat, parrot, echo.
Related Phrases
- To go cuckoo (informal): To become crazy or very excited.
- The crowd went cuckoo when the band came on stage.
Related Idioms
- Cloud-cuckoo-land: A state of unrealistic fantasy or foolish optimism.
- His plans for a perfect society are pure cloud-cuckoo-land.
Noun
- any of numerous European and North American birds having pointed wings and a long tail
- a man who is a stupid incompetent fool
Verb
- repeat monotonously, like a cuckoo repeats his call