coucal

[koo-kuhl]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any of several Old World cuckoos of the genus Centropus, having harsh-textured plumage and a long, daggerlike hind claw.

coucal

/ ˈkuːkæl, -kəl /

noun

any ground-living bird of the genus Centropus, of Africa, S Asia, and Australia, having long strong legs: family Cuculidae (cuckoos)

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Word History and Origins

Origin of coucal¹

1805–15; < French, said to be equivalent to couc ( ou ) cuckoo + al ( ouette ) lark

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Word History and Origins

Origin of coucal¹

C19: from French, perhaps from couc ( ou ) cuckoo + al ( ouette ) lark

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

We also spotted purple swamp hens and rusty-black coucals, whose eerie lowing seemed to surround us.

From

The finding of a coucal at the Cocoa Research Station on May 15, 1963, came as something of a surprise, since none had been seen there earlier by our group.

From

The call of this bird, which continues later in the year than that of the common cuckoo, is not unlike the whoot-whoot-whoot of the crow-pheasant or coucal.

From

The nest of the crow-pheasant or coucal is a massive structure, globular in shape, with the entrance at one side.

From

cotype couch

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