COCKATOO

cockatoo

(noun) white or light-colored crested parrot of the Australian region; often kept as cage birds

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

cockatoo (plural cockatoos)

A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot. [from 1610s]

(slang, obsolete) A lookout posted during a two-up game, when gambling was illegal.

Synonyms

• cocky

Source: Wiktionary

Cock`a*too, n. Etym: [Malayan kakatua.] (Zoöl.)

Definition: A bird of the Parrot family, of the subfamily Cacatuinæ, having a short, strong, and much curved beak, and the head ornamented with a crest, which can be raised or depressed at will. There are several genera and many species; as the broad-crested (Plictolophus, or Cacatua, cristatus), the sulphur-crested (P. galeritus), etc. The palm or great black cockatoo of Australia is Microglossus aterrimus. Cock"a*trice, n. Etym: [OF. cocatrice crocodile, F. cocatrix, cocatrice. The word is a corruption from the same source as E. crocodile, but was confused with cock the bird, F. coq, whence arose the fable that the animal was produced from a cock's egg. See Crocodile.]

1. A fabulous serpent whose breath and look were said to be fatal. See Basilisk. That bare vowel, I, shall poison more Than the death-darting eye of cockatrice. Shak.

2. (Her.)

Definition: A representation of this serpent. It has the head, wings, and legs of a bird, and tail of a serpent.

3. (Script.)

Definition: A venomous serpent which which cannot now be identified. The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's

Note: [Rev. Ver. basilisk's] den. Is. xi. 8.

4. Any venomous or deadly thing. This little cockatrice of a king. Bacon.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition