cockatoo

English

A cockatoo (1).

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

cockatoo (plural cockatoos)

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

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Further reading

  • cockatoo” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2019.
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