cooee

plural cooees · alternative cooey · alternative coo-ee

1. AustraliainformalonomatopoeicA long, loud call used to attract attention when at a distance, mainly done in the Australian bush.

   2006, Saskia Beudel, Walking: West MacDonnell Ranges 2002, in Drusilla Modjeska, The Best Australian Essays 2006, page 309, Just as I was preparing to write in my exercise book, I heard a cooee. Cooees were not part of the code.

   2 more examples

   Then they heard in the distance the "coo-ee" of a white man, which was instantly answered by another "coo-ee".

   1943, H. Lorna Bingham, The Lost Tribe, Sydney: Winn and Co., page 32, column 1

   I call out, “Coo-ee” with long Coo and short ee like whip-bird call. Everybody in my mob know my cooee. Any one of my mob hear that, they give me cooee back. I listen. No cooee come back.

   2002, Andrew Parkin, A Thing Apart, page 195

2. AustraliaalsofigurativelyinformalA short distance; hailing distance.

   We were carless, in the dark, and no one to help within cooee.

   1999, Tony Shillitoe, Joy Ride, page 136

   1 more example

   That is not within cooee of 10 per cent; it is much closer to six per cent.

   1996, australian House of Representatives, Parliamentary Debates Australia, volume 207, page 1469

present singular third person cooees · participle present cooeeing · participle past cooeed · past cooeed · alternative cooey · alternative coo-ee

1. AustraliainformalintransitiveTo make such a call.

   2006, Saskia Beudel, Walking: West MacDonnell Ranges 2002, in Drusilla Modjeska, The Best Australian Essays 2006, page 310, I cooeed back. Another cooee came in what seemed to be a reply. I cooeed again.

   2 more examples

   ‘Look out for snakes,’ said Long Charlie, flourishing his lantern. ‘And don′t all of us be coo-eeing all the time, or when the little chap sings out we shan't be able to hear him.’

   2001, Robert Holden, Nicholas Holden, Bunyips: Australia's Folklore of Fear, page 65

   Slipping out of the tail of the dray, I cooeed as loud as I could which was answered.

   2003, Les Hughes, A Young Australian Pioneer: Henry Mundy, page 225

alternative cooey · alternative coo-ee

1. AustraliaUKinformalUsed to attract someone's attention.

   Cooee! I'm over here!

   2 more examples

   Then, raising her hands to her lips she utters a long, loud, piercing " Cooee ! " " Coo — ee ! " comes back over the black waters.

   1894, Temple Bar, volume 183, page 587

   2001, June E. Barker, First Platypus, Gaygar—The Little Mother Duck, in Helen F. McKay (editor), Pauline E. McLeod, Francis Firebrace Jones, June E. Barker, Gadi Mirrabooka: Australian Aboriginal Tales from the Dreaming, page 58, Gaygar could hear her people cooee out to her, "COOEE, GAYGAR! COOEE, GAYGAR!" they would cry.

   Synonyms: ahoy!, hey!, oi!, yoohoo!

1. A town in Burnie City Council, north western Tasmania, Australia.