Cuckoo v. World English Historical Dictionary

Cuckoo v. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Cuckoo v.

[f. prec.]

1

  1.  intr. To utter the call of the cuckoo, or an imitation of it.

2

1620.  Rowlands, Night-Raven, 4.        Nor with your hopping cage birds sing, Nor cuckow it about the spring.

3

1656.  W. D., trans., Comenius’ Gate Lat. Unl., § 142. 43. The Cuckoe which bewrayeth herself by cuckoing.

4

1879.  Baring-Gould, Germany, II. 310. Clocks…, some that strike, some that cuckoo.

5

  2.  trans. To repeat incessantly and without variation.

6

1648.  Cuckows Nest, in Harl. Misc., 1745, V. 552. These always … cuckow forth one Tune, No King, no King.

7

1822.  Blackw. Mag., XII. 633. He cuckooed the old song of reduction.

8

1857.  E. FitzGerald, Lett. (1889), I. 251. Their Religion and Philosophy … always seems to me cuckooed over like a borrowed thing.

9

  3.  To push out from the nest like a cuckoo.

10

1870.  W. Thornbury, Tour Eng., I. i. 19. The government had an eye on him, and soon cuckooed him out by passing a bill to prevent clergymen being representatives in parliament.

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