coot en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /kuːt/
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
From Middle English cote, coote, cute, cuytt (“coot”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from an unrecorded Old English word, or borrowed from Middle Dutch coet, cuut, kuut (“coot”) (whence modern Dutch koet and meerkoet (“coot”)). Possibly related to Middle High German kūz, kūze (modern German Kauz (“owl”)), Old English cȳta (“kite, bittern”) (whence English kite), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *kūt (“bird of prey”). See kite.
Meanings
- Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.
-
(UK, colloquial) A foolish or eccentric fellow
‘What the hell’s up with that coot?’ Windy growled.
1960, J. E. Macdonnell, Don't Gimme the Ships, Melbourne: Horwitz Publications, page 115:A rich coot
A silly coot
Once more he thought aloud. / "Tom wouldn't lie to me, so it wasn't gin. Now, I wonder. I wonder if that old coot has got what they call 'delusions of grandeur'?"
1918, The Saturday Evening Post, volume 190, numbers 35-43, page 109:“You'll be able now to give it as your considered opinion that [Wilbert Cream] is as loony as a coot, Sir Roderick.” A pause ensued during which [the psychiatrist] appeared to be weighing this, possibly thinking back to coots he had met in the course of his professional career and trying to estimate their dippiness as compared with that of W. Cream.
1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII:Your clerks would come in and see you aswingin' and aswayin' there and one of them would say: "Well, the old coot's hung himself!"
1926, Don Marquis, The Old Soak: A Comedy in Three Acts, volume 2, page 84:An old coot
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| coots | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
drunk as a coot (other derived terms) · Eurasian coot (bird species) · American coot (bird species) · old coot (other derived terms) · queer as a coot (other derived terms) · dizzy as a coot (other derived terms) · giant coot (bird species) · cootling (other derived terms) · mascarene coot (bird species) · bald as a coot (other derived terms) · gay as a coot (other derived terms) · horned coot (bird species) · cracked as a coot (other derived terms) · red-gartered coot (bird species) · Caribbean coot (bird species) · red-fronted coot (bird species) · daft as a coot (other derived terms) · sea coot (bird species) · deaf as a coot (other derived terms) · mad as a coot (other derived terms) · Andean coot (bird species) · pissed as a coot (other derived terms) · Hawaiian coot (bird species) · loony as a coot (other derived terms) · daffy as a coot (other derived terms) · simple as a coot (other derived terms) · crazy as a coot (other derived terms) · white-winged coot (bird species) · Fulica cornuta) (bird species) · red-knobbed coot (bird species) · rich coot (other derived terms) · silly as a coot (other derived terms) · happy as a coot (other derived terms)
Relateds
fulicine (bird)
Translations (73)
zlw-osk lyska (bird) · udm вукурег (bird) · mnc ᡥᠠᡵᠠᡤᡡᠨᠠ (bird) · ka მელოტა (bird) · cs lyska (bird) · de Wasserhuhn (bird) · fa خشنسار (bird) · ga coileach ceannann (bird) · eo fuliko (bird) · ja オオバン (bird) · se giehpavuoncci (bird) · da blishøne (bird) · de Blässhuhn (bird) · be лысу́ха (bird) · nrf mèrquerole (bird) · sq bajzë (bird) · nv tóidoozohii bidaaʼ łigaaígíí (bird) · lv laucis (bird) · uk ли́ска (bird) · la fulica (bird) · eo akvokoko (bird) · ca folliga (bird) · bg ли́ска (bird) · ga cearc cheannann (bird) · it folaga (bird) · lt laukys (bird) · ast gallineta real (bird) · be лы́ска (bird) · es focha común (bird) · az qaşqaldaq (bird) · zlw-ocs lyska (bird) · gl cotorza (bird) · oc folca (bird) · gl galiñola (bird) · sh liska (bird) · nl koet (bird) · dv ސަލްވާ ދޫނި (bird) · hu szárcsa (bird) · sv sothöna (bird) · tr sakarmeke (bird) · grc φαλαρίς (bird) · nn sothøne (bird) · el φαλαρίδα (bird) · ko 물닭 (bird) · nb sothøne (bird) · sc puliga (bird) · es focha (bird) · ru лы́ска (bird) · fr foulque (bird) · sl liska (bird) · pt galeirão (bird) · tr su tavuğu (bird) · pl łyska (bird) · de Blessralle (bird) · vi sâm cầm (bird) · ro lișiță (bird) · kum къайчыкъанат (bird) · kbd псыджэд (bird) · ru лысу́ха (bird) · de Belche (bird) · fa ماغ (bird) · et lauk (bird) · ja 大鷭 (bird) · mk лиска (bird) · ca fotja (bird) · vec fòłega (bird) · ar غُرَّة (bird) · kk қасқалдақ (bird) · sh лиска (bird) · cmn 骨頂雞 /骨顶鸡 (bird) · cy cwtiar (bird) · sk lyska (bird) · fi nokikana (bird)