CUCKOO

I. noun (plural ~s) Etymology: Middle English cuccu, of imitative origin Date: 13th century a largely grayish-brown European bird ( Cuculus canorus ) that is a parasite given to laying its eggs in the nests of other birds which hatch them and rear the offspring, the call of the ~, a silly or slightly crackbrained person, II. transitive verb Date: 1648 to repeat monotonously as a ~ does its call, III. adjective Date: 1627 of, relating to, or resembling the ~, deficient in sense or intelligence ; silly