kookaburra
kook·a·bur·ra
noun \ˈku̇-kə-ˌbər-ə, -ˌbə-rə\Definition of KOOKABURRA
: a brownish kingfisher (Dacelo novaeguineae syn. D. gigas) of Australia that is about the size of a crow and has a call resembling loud laughter —called also laughing jackass
Origin of KOOKABURRA
Wiradhuri (Australian aboriginal language of central New South Wales) gugubarra
First Known Use: 1834
Rhymes with KOOKABURRA
kookaburra
noun (Concise Encyclopedia)Eastern Australian species (Dacelo gigas) of forest kingfisher (subfamily Daceloninae). Its call, which sounds like fiendish laughter, can be heard very early in the morning and just after sunset. A gray-brown, woodland-dwelling bird, it reaches a length of 17 in. (43 cm), with a 3.2–4-in. (8–10-cm) beak. In its native habitat it eats invertebrates and small vertebrates, including venomous snakes. In western Australia and New Zealand, where it has been introduced, it has been known to attack chickens and ducklings.
Variants of KOOKABURRA
kookaburra or laughing jackass
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