cockatoo
[ kok-uh-too, kok-uh-too ]
/ ˈkɒk əˌtu, ˌkɒk əˈtu /
noun, plural cock·a·toos.
any of numerous large, noisy, crested parrots of the genera Cacatua, Callocephalon, Calyptorhynchus, etc., of the Australasian region, having chiefly white plumage tinged with yellow, pink, or red: popular as a pet.
Australian.
- a person who owns and works a small farm or ranch.
- Slang. a lookout posted by criminals or the operators of illegal gambling games.
Origin of cockatoo
1610–20; < Dutch
kaketoe < Malay
kakatua, perhaps etymologizing alteration of Central Moluccan
jaka any psittacine bird, by association with Malay
kakak sibling,
kakak tua older sibling); spelling copies
cock1
Words nearby cockatoo
cockaigne,
cockalorum,
cockamamie,
cockapoo,
cockatiel,
cockatoo,
cockatrice,
cockayne,
cockayne's syndrome,
cockboat,
cockchafer
Example sentences from the Web for cockatoo
British Dictionary definitions for cockatoo
cockatoo
/ (ˌkɒkəˈtuː, ˈkɒkəˌtuː) /
noun plural -toos
any of various parrots of the genus Kakatoe and related genera, such as K. galerita (sulphur-crested cockatoo), of Australia and New Guinea. They have an erectile crest and most of them are light-coloured
Australian and NZ
a small farmer or settler
Australian informal
a lookout during some illegal activity
Word Origin for cockatoo
C17: from Dutch
kaketoe, from Malay
kakatua