̘. ̈n.ˈkuku: n. & adj. --n.
any bird of
the family Cuculidae,
esp. Cuculus canorus, having a
characteristic cry,
and depositing
its eggs in the nests of
small birds. --predic.adj. sl.
crazy,
foolish. øcuckoo clock a clock
that strikes the
hour with a
sound like a cuckoo's
call, usu. with the emergence on
each note of a
mechanical cuckoo. cuckoo
flower 1 a
meadow plant, Cardamine pratensis, with pale
lilac flowers. 2 =
ragged robin. cuckoo in the
nest an
unwelcome intruder. cuckoo-pint a
wild arum, Arum maculatum, with arrow-shaped
leaves and
scarlet berries:
also called lords and
ladies (see LORD). cuckoo-spit
froth exuded by larvae of insects of the family Cercopidae on leaves, stems, etc. [ME f. OF cucu, imit.]