1
: any of various slaty-black birds (genus Fulica) of the rail family that somewhat resemble ducks and have lobed toes and the upper mandible prolonged on the forehead as a horny frontal shield
2
: any of several North American scoters
3
: a harmless simple person
broadly
: fellow sense 4c
Examples of coot in a Sentence
Don't mind him—he's just a crazy old coot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lake Hodges near Escondido is a major grebe nesting location where birders enjoy following the nesting process that begins with the weaving of reeds into floating mats where eggs are then deposited.
Loons, coots, rails and gallinules are also floating nest builders.
—
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Seeing irascible old coots soften when in the presence of cherubic little nuggets gets me every time.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 May 2025
The university spent the next decade restoring the property into a wetland to reduce flooding in nearby neighborhoods and create habitat for waterfowl like mallards, coots, and Canada geese.
—Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
One Bird Nest, 30 Years of Trash: A coot’s nest reveals that what humans throw away doesn’t really go away.
—Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coot
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Seeing irascible old coots soften when in the presence of cherubic little nuggets gets me every time.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 May 2025
The university spent the next decade restoring the property into a wetland to reduce flooding in nearby neighborhoods and create habitat for waterfowl like mallards, coots, and Canada geese.
—Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 5 May 2025
One Bird Nest, 30 Years of Trash: A coot’s nest reveals that what humans throw away doesn’t really go away.
—Gennaro Tomma, New York Times, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for coot
Cite this Entry
“Coot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coot. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coot
noun1
: a slaty-black bird of the rail family that somewhat resembles a duck
2
: any of several North American scoters
3
: a harmless simple person
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share