Coo
/kuː/
Definitions
3 meaningsTo make a soft, murmuring sound like a dove.
/kuː/
To make a soft, murmuring sound, like a dove.
The doves cooed in the trees.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're holding a cute baby pigeon. When the pigeon makes a quiet, gentle sound, that's cooing! It's like a soft, happy little sound.
👶 For kids: To make a soft, gentle sound like a bird, like "coo, coo".
More Examples
The mother cooed to her baby, trying to soothe it.
We could hear the pigeons cooing from our window.
How It's Used
"The doves cooed in the eaves of the old barn."
"The lovers cooed softly to each other."
To speak in a soft, murmuring voice, often in a loving or affectionate way.
/kuː/
To speak in a soft, loving, or affectionate way (often used to describe the way a mother talks to a child).
The grandmother cooed at the baby as she held him.
💡 Simply: When a parent is speaking sweetly and softly to their baby – that's 'cooing'! It's like they're making the same gentle sound as a dove, but with words.
👶 For kids: When someone talks to a baby in a sweet, soft voice, like "coo, coo".
More Examples
She cooed over the puppy, giving it a gentle pat.
He cooed to his sweetheart as they watched the sunset.
How It's Used
"The mother cooed over her newborn baby."
The soft, murmuring sound made by a dove or pigeon.
/kuː/
The coo of the dove filled the air.
💡 Simply: It's the gentle, quiet sound a dove or pigeon makes. It's like the bird is saying, "Coo!"
👶 For kids: The soft sound that a dove or pigeon makes, like "coo!"
More Examples
We could hear the gentle coo in the distance.
The coo of the pigeons always reminds me of my childhood.
How It's Used
"We woke up to the coo of the pigeons outside our window."
From imitative origin, reflecting the sound made by doves and pigeons. Possibly related to earlier Germanic words.
The verb 'coo' appears in written English from the late 16th century, reflecting its imitative nature.