coot

/ku:t/

Thân thiện

An old coot swims among the reeds at the edge of a pond.

Definition

Noun: 1. A type of waterbird: A dark-colored, slow-flying bird that lives on or near water, somewhat resembling a duck but with a distinctive white bill and forehead shield. 2. A foolish or eccentric person (informal, chiefly US): Used as a mild, often humorous term for an old man, especially one perceived as strange or silly.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Bird):
  • We saw a coot swimming among the reeds at the edge of the lake.
  • The coot is easily identified by its white bill and frontal shield.
• Noun (Person - informal):
  • My grandfather is a lovely old coot who tells the best stories.
  • Don't listen to him; he's just a crazy old coot.

Advanced Usage and Idioms

• "(as) bald as a coot": Completely bald. This idiom comes from the bird's white frontal shield, which can make its head appear bald from a distance.
  • He's been as bald as a coot since he was thirty.

Variants and Related Words

• American Coot (): The specific species common in North America.
• Eurasian Coot (): The species common in Europe and Asia.

Synonyms

• (For the bird): Waterbird, rail (as it belongs to the rail family, Rallidae).
• (For the person - informal): Codger, geezer, eccentric, oddball.

Different Meanings

The word coot has two distinct meanings: 1. Its primary, literal meaning refers to the specific aquatic bird. 2. Its secondary, informal meaning is a figurative and mildly derogatory term for a person, almost always an older man.

Học thuật

Noun

1. slate-black slow-flying birds somewhat resembling ducks