Cuckoo

/ˈkʊkuː/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A person who is regarded as a fool or crazy.

After his bizarre behavior at the party, they all thought he was a bit of a cuckoo.

A horological device that makes a sound imitating the call of a cuckoo, typically found in cuckoo clocks.

The children loved the sound of the cuckoo coming out of the clock every hour.

A type of bird known for its distinctive call and for laying its eggs in the nests of other birds.

The cuckoo is known for its unique call that can be heard in the spring.

verb

To make a sound like that of a cuckoo.

He cuckooed in imitation of the bird when he heard it in the distance.

adjective

Crazy or foolish.

That idea is just cuckoo; there's no way it would work!

Middle English, from Old French 'cucu', imitative of the sound made by the bird.

cuckoo for cocoa puffs

To be extremely enthusiastic about something, often in a crazy way.

as cuckoo as a clock

Extremely eccentric or silly.

brood parasitism

A type of reproduction in which one species lays its eggs in the nest of another species.

mad

Mentally ill or extremely foolish.

Out of one's mind.

After that comment, she felt a bit cuckoo.

Crazy or eccentric.

He's acting all cuckoo today.