Meaning
cuckoo
- a migratory bird known for its distinctive call and brood parasitism
- the mechanism or clock that produces a cuckoo's call
In a sentence
In primavera si sente spesso il cuculo cantare nel bosco.
In spring one often hears the cuckoo calling in the woods.
Il cuculo depone le proprie uova nei nidi di altri uccelli.
The cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of other birds.
Perché il cuculo non costruisce mai un nido proprio?
Why doesn't the cuckoo ever build its own nest?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cuculo | masculine · singular |
| cuculi | masculine · plural |
Usage notes
- Traditionally stressed on the first syllable: CÙ-cu-lo (though cu-CÙ-lo is also heard colloquially).
- 'Orologio a cucù' is the standard term for a cuckoo clock.