Etymology

cockatoo

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Today it means: A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot. Full definition →

First used 1610sDutch kaketoe ← Malay kakaktua
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The story

  1. Malaykakaktua
  2. Dutchkaketoe
  3. English todaycockatoo

Borrowed from Dutch kaketoe, borrowed from Malay kakaktua. Spelling influenced by cock.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1610s A bird of the family Cacatuidae with a curved beak and a zygodactyl foot.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.