- any aquatic bird of the genus Fulica, esp F. atra of Europe and Asia, having lobed toes, dark plumage, and a white bill with a frontal shield: family Rallidae (rails, crakes, etc)
- derogatory a foolish person, esp an old man (often in the phrase old coot)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
coot /kut/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a small gray or black and white swimming and diving water bird.
- Informal TermsInformal. a foolish or irritating person, esp. one who is elderly.
coot
(ko̅o̅t),USA pronunciation n.
- Birdsany aquatic bird of the genus Fulica, as F. americana, of North America, and F. atra, of the Old World, characterized by lobate toes and short wings and tail.
- Birdsany of various other swimming or diving birds, esp. the scoters.
- Informal Termsa foolish or crotchety person, esp. one who is old.
- 1250–1300; Middle English cote; cognate with Dutch koet
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
coot /kuːt/ n
'coot' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):