Category:Cuckoo

Cuck"oo (kk"), n. Etym: [OE. coccou, cukkow, F. coucou, prob. of imitative origin; cf. L. cuculus, Gr. k, G. kuckuk, D. koekoek.] (Zoöl.)

Defn: A bird belonging to Cuculus, Coccyzus, and several allied genera, of many species.

Note: The European cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) builds no nest of its own, but lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched by them. The American yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus Americanus) and the black-billed cuckoo (C. erythrophthalmus) build their own nests. Cuckoo bee (Zool.), a bee, parasitic in the larval stage in the nests of other bees, feeding either upon their food or larvae. They belong to the genera Nomada, Melecta, Epeolus, and others. -- Cuckoo clock, a clock so constructed that at the time for striking it gives forth sounds resembling the cry of the cuckoo. -- Cuckoo dove (Zoöl.), a long-tailed pigeon of the genus Macropygia. Many species inhabit the East Indies. -- Cuckoo fish (Zoöl.), the European red gurnard (Trigla cuculus). The name probably alludes to the sound that it utters. -- Cuckoo falcon (Zoöl.), any falcon of the genus Baza. The genus inhabits Africa and the East Indies. -- Cuckoo maid (Zoöl.), the wryneck; -- called also cuckoo mate. -- Cuckoo ray (Zoöl.), a British ray (Raia miraletus). -- Cuckoo spit, or Cuckoo spittle. (a) A frothy secretion found upon plants, exuded by the larvae of certain insects, for concealment; -- called also toad spittle and frog spit. (b) (Zoöl.) A small hemipterous insect, the larva of which, living on grass and the leaves of plants, exudes this secretion. The insects belong to Aphrophora, Helochara, and allied genera. -- Ground cuckoo, the chaparral cock.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Cuckoo - (Heb. shahaph ), from a root meaning "to be lean; slender." This bird is mentioned only in Leviticus 11:16 and Deuteronomy 14:15 (R.V., "seamew"). Some have interpreted the Hebrew word by "petrel" or "shearwater" (Puffinus cinereus), which is found on the coast of Syria; others think it denotes the "sea-gull" or "seamew." The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) feeds on reptiles and large insects. It is found in Asia and Africa as well as in Europe. It only passes the winter in Palestine. The Arabs suppose it to utter the cry Yakub, and hence they call it tir el-Yakub; i.e., "Jacob's bird."