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Kuckuck

cuckoo

noun KOOK-ook Rare
Animals & Nature Wild Animals

Origin: onomatopoeic, mimicking the bird's call

Also means

cuckoo clock (colloquial)

Usage Note

Kuckuck (Cuculus canorus) is famous for brood parasitism — it lays eggs in other birds' nests. Hearing the first cuckoo call of spring is a traditional omen of good luck. Kuckucksuhr is the cuckoo clock. Plural: die Kuckucke.

Examples

"Im Mai hörte man den Ruf des Kuckucks aus dem nahen Wäldchen."

Natural Translation

In May one could hear the call of the cuckoo from the nearby copse.

Literal Translation

In May one heard the call of the cuckoo from the nearby copse.

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