cockatoo

noun

cock·​a·​too ˈkä-kə-ˌtü 

plural cockatoos

: any of various large noisy chiefly Australasian crested parrots (family Cacatuidae and especially genus Cacatua)

Illustration of cockatoo

Examples of cockatoo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The collection, designed by global creative director Giovanna Engelbert, is the second collaboration with the porcelain specialist and features tropical birds such as cockatoos, royal flycatchers and citrus fruits in porcelain. —Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 9 Apr. 2025

That goes for any of the more than 300 types of parrot, which includes parakeets, cockatoos, macaws and others. —Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2025

The Moluccan cockatoo, which is mostly white except for the coral feathers in its crest, is endemic to the Moluccas, islands off the east coast of Indonesia that are also home to some species of birds of paradise. —Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2025

After constructing the rabbit, kids can take it apart and build it into a cockatoo or a seal. —Christopher Murray, FOXNews.com, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Dutch kaketoe, from Malay kakatua

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cockatoo

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• detinue
• devalue
• donohue

Kids Definition

cockatoo

noun

cock·​a·​too ˈkäk-ə-ˌtü 

plural cockatoos

: any of various large noisy usually showy chiefly Australasian parrots that have a bunch of feathers on the head