cockatoo

noun

cock·a·too | \ˈkä-kə-ˌtü

plural cockatoos

Definition of cockatoo

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

Examples of cockatoo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Traffic on a road in Cairns, Australia was going smoothly so there was nothing to see, except for the curious cockatoo that was checking out a traffic camera, 9 News reported. — Natalie Dreier, ajc, "Birdie traffic selfie: Cockatoo inspects traffic camera, wins the web," 1 June 2018 Ever wondered what the world looks like through a cockatoo's eyes? — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "How Does Your Vision Compare to Other Critters in the Animal Kingdom?," 7 June 2018 Sometimes birds outlive their owners, like Chewbacca, an 18-year-old white umbrella cockatoo that was returned to the shop after his elderly owner died. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Escondido bird shop flying the coop after 40 years," 16 Mar. 2018 Think: kangaroos, cockatoos, zebras, camels, to name a few. — Amanda Garrity, Good Housekeeping, "TLC's "Our Wild Life" Draws Mixed Reactions From Viewers," 25 May 2018 The animal handlers brought a variety of animals with them, including a cockatoo, ferret, cockroaches, and a 9-foot-long boa constrictor. — Michael Walsh, Courant Community, "An Animal Visit From Forest Park Zoo," 2 May 2018 Yet the ferries are crammed with them: Indonesian soldiers returning from a tour in Papua typically pack a few wild cockatoos or lories to sell. — The Economist, "Asia’s appetite for endangered species is relentless," 19 Apr. 2018 Though palm cockatoos don’t dance while drumming, other species have exhibited a gift for boogying to a beat. — National Geographic, "Why Ravens and Crows Are Earth’s Smartest Birds," 15 Mar. 2018 The aging 8-meter statue, of a local species of cockatoo called the galah, marks a roughly midway point between the eastern and western coasts of Australia. — Jacqueline Williams, New York Times, "A Farming Town Divided: Do We Want a Nuclear Site that Brings Jobs?," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cockatoo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.