coot

Pronunciation: /kuːt/

The English word “coot” has 3 meanings listed here.

noun

Any of various aquatic birds of the genus Fulica that are mainly black with a prominent frontal shield on the forehead.
A foolish or eccentric fellow
Body louse (Pediculus humanus).

Etymology

From Middle English cote, coote, cute, cuytt (“coot”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from an unrecorded Old English word, or borrowed from Middle Dutch coet, cuut, kuut (“coot”) (whence modern Dutch koet and meerkoet (“coot”)). Possibly related to Middle High German kūz, kūze (modern German Kauz (“owl”)), Old English cȳta (“kite, bittern”) (whence English kite), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic…

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