cockatoo

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English[edit]

A cockatoo (1).

Etymology[edit]

From Dutch kaketoe, borrowed from Malay kakaktua, kakatua. Spelling influenced by cock.

 cockatoo on Wikipedia

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (file)

Noun[edit]

cockatoo (plural cockatoos)

  1. A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot. [from 1610s]
    We saw some cockatoos in the aviary.
  2. (slang, obsolete) A lookout posted during a two-up game, when gambling was illegal.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • Irish: cocatú
  • Maori: kokatu, koketu

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

Further reading[edit]