coot

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noun \ ˈküt \

Definition of coot

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 4c

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Examples of coot in a Sentence

Don't mind him—he's just a crazy old coot.

Recent Examples of coot from the Web

Not only can birders spot ducks, geese, grebes and coots; a number of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers, birds of prey including bald eagles, golden eagles and ospreys, and much more also move through the area.

— michigan wildlife council, Detroit Free Press, "Exploring Michigan’s Wetland Wonders," 21 Aug. 2017
The dive bar’s obituary probably has been written a thousand times, sometimes with an eloquence that would baffle the average coot who shuffles into these black holes, looking for a shot and a beer before the clock strikes noon.

— atlanta travel, ajc, "America’s most authentic dive bars," 23 May 2017
The dive bar's obituary probably has been written a thousand times, sometimes with an eloquence that would baffle the average coot who shuffles into these black holes, looking for a shot and a beer before the clock strikes noon.

— tim carman and fritz hahn, chicagotribune.com, "America's most authentic dive bars," 3 May 2017
But otherwise, word of The Onion rarely spread beyond the coot-rich waters of Lake Monona or the nearby shores of Lake Michigan.

— liesl schillinger, WIRED, "Award-Winning Local Journalists Reflect Own Self-Hatred Back on Nightmarish World*," 1 Mar. 1999

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