coot

coot
coot c.1300, cote, used for various water fowl (now limited to Fulica atra and, in North America, F. americana), of uncertain origin (Cf. Du. meercoet "lake coot"). Meaning "silly person, fool" is attested from 1766.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Coot — (k[=oo]t), n. [Cf. D. koet, W. cwtair; cwta short, bodtailed + iar hen; cf. cwtau to dock. Cf. {Cut}.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) (a) A wading bird with lobate toes, of the genus {Fulica}. The common European or bald coot is {Fulica atra} (see under {bald});… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • coot — [ku:t] n [Date: 1200 1300; Origin: Perhaps from Middle Dutch coet] 1.) a small black and white water bird with a short beak 2.) old coot AmE informal an old man who you think is strange or unpleasant ▪ a miserable, mean old coot …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • coot — ► NOUN 1) (pl. same) an aquatic bird of the rail family with black plumage and a white bill that extends back on to the forehead as a horny shield. 2) (usu. old coot) informal a stupid or eccentric person. ORIGIN probably Dutch or Low German …   English terms dictionary

  • coot — [ko͞ot] n. pl. coots or coot [ME cote < ? MDu koet] 1. any of a genus (Fulica) of ducklike, freshwater birds of the rail family, with long lobed toes ☆ 2. SCOTER 3. Informal an amusing or eccentric old fellow …   English World dictionary

  • coot — [ kut ] noun count a small black bird with a white beak that lives near water …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • coot|ie — «KOO tee», noun. 1. Slang. a louse; body louse. 2. a children s game played by rolling a die to determine who will complete a stylized drawing of a louse. ╂[origin unknown] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Coot — For other uses, see Coot (disambiguation). Coots Eurasian Coot Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • Coot — Famille Écoutum La famille Écoutum (Coot Kin en anglais), dans l univers des canards imaginé par la Walt Disney Company[1], constitue principalement l ascendance de Donald Duck. Fondée par Cornélius Écoutum, elle est alliée à la famille Duck par… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • coot — /kooht/, n. 1. any aquatic bird of the genus Fulica, as F. americana, of North America, and F. atra, of the Old World, characterized by lobate toes and short wings and tail. 2. any of various other swimming or diving birds, esp. the scoters. 3.… …   Universalium

  • Coot — This name is of early medieval English origin, and derives from the Middle English co(a)te meaning a coot, and was originally given as a nickname to a bald person. The bird was regarded as bald because of the large white patch, an extension of… …   Surnames reference

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